HOUSTON – Removing debris that Hurricane Ike left behind is a huge undertaking.

In some cases, Harris County residents have stacked up tree limbs and whole trees in front of their yards in hopes someone will take them away.

So far, officials say, debris in the county is being picked up.

“We are 95 percent complete, so with the first pass we’ve gotten most of our residents in the unincorporated Harris County area,” said Harris County Disaster spokesperson Demetra Hamilton.

That’s in the county, but here in Houston it is a much different story, said Houstonian Verna Francois.

“They pick up the stuff in Wood Forest off Homestead, why not in Kashmere Gardens? What’s wrong with us,” asked Francois.

On her street, debris is still neatly piled up.

“I am sick of it really, I’m serious,” she said.

Francois said the piles of debris have not been touched since the storm hit nearly four weeks ago.

Despite her frustration, Francois said she and her neighbor, Otto Franco, are patient and willing to wait for their turn.

“We have a lot of kids and that’s our concern. Other than that, I hope it doesn’t take any longer,” said Franco.

Harris County figures it’s picked up more than one million cubic yards of debris. They say that’s enough to fill the Daisetta sinkhole. They say it’s also enough to fill the Astrodome and stick it inside the sinkhole.

Meanwhile, the City of Houston has collected more than three times that much. In all, crews there have picked up 83,000 truck loads of storm debris.

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In some areas, Harris County residents have stacked up tree limbs and whole trees in front of their yards.

The city is still removing the refuse, but soon Harris County will stop.

“After the 20^th, we plan to ramp down our operations. You need to put it out there by the 20^th,” said Hamilton.

She said that after the deadline, if you live in unincorporated Harris County, you’re on your own.