国际英语新闻:Debris cleanup after Harvey in progress: Texas governor

HOUSTON, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Texas state Governor of the United States announced Wednesday that approximately 432,000 cubic feet (12,233 cubic meters) of debris have been removed from city and county roadways in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

"Removing debris from the areas affected by Hurricane Harvey continues to be a top priority for the state," said Governor Greg Abbott.

In a press release by the Governor Office, the governor praised debris removal efforts by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

"TxDOT's efforts are having a meaningful impact and are helping Texans get back to normalcy as quickly as possible."

Currently, about 400 employees from 21 of TxDOT's 25 districts are involved in debris removal from city and county roads in areas impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

Despite the progress in debris cleanup, there is a lot of work to do. For instance, 12,233 cubic meters of debris may occupy eight football fields, but there is more debris piled up high along streets in Houston area, waiting to be cleared.

Headquartered in Austin, TxDOT is organized by administration, districts and divisions and its workforce is made up of engineers, administrators, financial experts, designers, architects, sign makers, accountants, purchasers, maintenance workers, travel counselors and many other professions.

Harvey blew ashore on Aug. 25 as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years, displacing more than one million and damaging some 200,000 houses in a path of destruction that stretches for more than 480 km.