KILLEEN, Texas – Although the winter storm has come and gone, many cities are recovering from the damage it caused.

Danielle Singh, Executive Director of Public Works, for The City of Killeen says the process to recover will take years.

“I would just ask for the public’s patience as we work through this,” Singh said. “It’s going to take years for us to fully recover from this event.”

The ice storm that blew through Central Texas left the city with $40 million of road damage.

“Essentially we had cracks within our roadways,” Singh said. The moisture was able to get into there, and then as it freezes it expands and it actually will lift the pavement- the asphalt from the base layer.”

Singh says the freeze thaw cycle is what lead to the extreme damage.

The $40 million estimate came after road evaluation.

“Right after the storm event concluded, we sent out or city crews and also city staff to evaluate the damage,” Singh said. “We drove our thoroughfares, took measurements of where the damage occurred and then estimated the cost to fix that.”

The city crews have begun to repair the damage they can and will continue to do that on local streets.

“For some of our thoroughfares, which are our higher traffic areas, we’ll be hiring a contractor to do that work,” Singh said.

The process will consist of removing the damaged asphalt pavement and replacing it.

“It’s going to take years for us to have a full recovery from this,” Singh said.

As they continue the small steps to recovery, Singh wants the community and working crews to be safe.

“When they see potholes, please report those to us because our crews are out there repairing those as quickly as they can,” Singh said. “Then also, be aware of our crews that are out working, and eventually our contractors as well.”

Singh says the crews are working hard and their safety is important.

“Be mindful of where they are working, and that way keep their safety in mind as well,” Singh said.