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DOT: Irene debris enough to fill 2,600 school buses

That's equivalent to more than 55,000 tons of trees and limbs that fell after the Category 1 hurricane struck the state in late August, and pickup still isn't finished.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Crews cleaning up from Hurricane Irene have removed enough debris from state roadways to fill about 2,600 school buses, the North Carolina Department of Transportation said Tuesday.

That's equivalent to more than 55,000 tons of trees and limbs that fell after the Category 1 hurricane struck across the eastern half of the state in late August, and pickup still isn't finished.

The state says that although it has completed cleanup in Columbus and Sampson counties, crews are still collecting debris in 34 other counties that have been designated by the federal government for public disaster assistance.

Residents can still place debris from the storm along the side of the road for pickup, but they should be patient while crews work.

The state is only collecting vegetation debris, such as trees and limbs – not that from construction and demolition, the DOT said.

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