Upper Arlington is hiring a second contractor to speed up curbside storm debris removal, with a goal of finishing the job in roughly two weeks.

The city announced the move Aug. 19, saying crews expect to pick up, grind and transport about 50,000 cubic yards of material left by the Aug. 11 storm that hit the community with straight-line winds of 90 to 100 mph.

The city said on X it is bringing on an additional contractor as the single-pass chipping operation works its way through neighborhoods.

Residents were told to have debris curbside by Aug. 17, and crews began their sweep after that deadline. The city did not name the new contractor or release a street-by-street schedule.

The cleanup has been an all-hands effort. By Aug. 14, crews from Dublin, Gahanna, Grove City, Westerville and Worthington had joined Upper Arlington teams on the ground, according to the city's post that day. Temporary street closures went up near Upper Arlington High School on Aug. 12, with Halstead Road, Pickwick Drive and Wellesley Drive limited to local traffic and McCoy Road west of Clairmont Road fully closed so heavy equipment could operate safely.

The National Weather Service confirmed the worst tree damage ran along Mount Holyoke Road, Wellesley Drive, Halstead Road, Pickwick Drive and North Star Road near the high school. A city spokesperson told NBC4 that 75 homes sustained tree damage; police and fire crews responded to about 225 calls for service during the storm. No injuries were reported.

Wellesley Drive resident Michael Shonk told ABC6 on Aug. 11, shortly after the storm hit, that the initial response impressed him: "The city was out here right away, and AEP has been here fast, and it's been pretty awesome … So to get this cleared up as fast as they did was pretty remarkable."

As we reported Aug. 17, chipping crews began their street-by-street sweep that week. The addition of a second contractor signals the scale of work still ahead. Upper Arlington Schools delayed the start of the school year because of the damage.

Residents who have not yet moved storm debris to the curb should do so as soon as possible; crews are making one pass per street. The city has not announced a council meeting or public comment period tied to the cleanup contract.