The Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department will begin cleaning up fallen trees and debris in South Park today in preparation for Friday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade downtown.

Several broken limbs and downed trees lay across a sidewalk in South Park in the aftermath of Sunday's microburst. City crews will work to clear the park today in preparation for Friday's St. Patrick's Day parade.

The park was hit hard by Sunday’s storms, department director Fred DeVictor said, but so far the department’s focus has been clearing city streets and sidewalks.

“We’ve been looking at safety issues,” DeVictor said.

Clean up at other parks will follow, but DeVictor’s goal is to have the park fairly clean by the start of Friday’s festivities. The parade is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in South Park and promises to bring a lot of traffic to the now tree-strewn area.

“We have a lot of work to do down there,” he said.