MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WTVF) — Friday marked a milestone in Mt. Juliet's recovery from the tornadoes that ripped through the town last month.
COVID-19 slowed down some of the response, but now large-scale debris removal is finally taking place in Mt. Juliet, bringing new reasons for hope.
Kim Schultheis lives on Clearview Drive. She says it's hard for neighbors to move on from the trauma of the tornadoes when there are constant reminders -- giant piles of tornado debris -- sitting at the end of nearly every home on the street.
"You know, every time you pull in and you see the debris out by the road, it just kind of brings everything back," Schultheis said.
With the added complications -- and stay at home orders -- brought about by COVID-19, many people can't get any other view than the debris in their neighborhoods.
"You can get out and walk, but when you walk and all you see is the debris, and you can’t really go and meet up with friends, it’s doubly hard," Schultheis said.
But starting today, big black trucks have arrived along Clearview Drive, as the city's large-scale cleanup begins. Mt. Juliet signed on with a company that specializes in such cleanup.
Andy Barlow, Mt. Juliet's Public Works director, says the coincidence of this Sunday's Easter holiday -- with a focus on rebirth -- is not lost on him.
"You gotta get the old stuff out of the way to begin to start anew," Barlow said.
As one of the big trucks pulled away, now full with debris, Schultheis summed it up best.
"Today is a very good day," she said.
