TYLER, Texas — East Texas is finally drying out after several days of heavy rain and storms across the region. And now, the cleanup begins.
Dozens of volunteers are expected to be out Saturday morning, picking up trash and doing their part to help keep Tyler beautiful.
The Great Tyler Cleanup is an annual event that's been going on for quite a while. It's part of The Don't Mess With Texas Trash-Off and the Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup. City of Tyler spokesperson Payton Weidman said this event is about more than just cleaning up.
“It's a time for the community to come together with Tyler Parks and Recreation and Keep Tyler Beautiful and just help make things look nice again in our parks," Weidman said.
Weidman said that while the main event will be at Southside Park, people are welcome to clean up other parks and along streets that aren't busy.
“Tyler Parks and Rec is encouraging that community members just stop by, come get some supplies, and then head on over to a different area that you think would be beneficial to clean up,” Weidman said.
The city expects there to be some cleanup needed due to storm damage, but it is expected to be minimal.
"There will be smaller tree limbs. Our crews have already been out picking up all the major tree limbs that have been found,” Weidman said.
One of the main areas in Southside Park that requires cleaning is the west mud creek.
Weideman said that in the past some community members have put on their rain boots and gotten down into the West Mud Creek.
If that doesn't sound like something you're interested in, don't worry there are less messy task.
“We have people that will most likely help with the garden beds, help clean out the flowers in that area. So, there's many different things that will be going on besides just trash pickup," Weidman said.
The event kicks off Saturday morning at 9 a.m. at Southside Park in Tyler.