(SOUTHERN COLORADO) — With high winds ripping through Southern Colorado over the weekend, the tumbleweeds rolled up in dramatic fashion on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 22-23, piling up on roadways and on people’s homes and cars.

The tumbleweeds covered entire vehicles and blocked out windows, leaving many asking how to get rid of tumbleweeds that pile up on their property.

“El Paso County Department of Public Works have had crews out [Sunday] and [Monday] removing tumbleweeds from El Paso County rights-of-way. They are using tandem trucks with plows to get them out of the rights-of-way and mowers to grind them down,” Sosa said.

Sosa also said that people can contact El Paso County if they see tumbleweeds on roads and public property. They can put in a request on the Citizens Connect page and Public Works will address it as soon as possible. Public Works will not remove tumbleweeds from private property, but said people can dispose of them at local landfills.

Wind speeds peaked at 59 mph at the Colorado Springs Airport over Saturday night according to FOX21 Meteorologist Robert Hahn. These winds led to an influx of Russian Thistle, also known as the tumbleweed throughout the region, according to Natalie Sosa, Deputy Director of Communications with El Paso County Communications.

FOX21 has received several reports and photos of tumbleweeds across El Paso County including the below photos which are from the Security-Widefield area.

Sosa gave a little background on tumbleweeds, saying “the plant is widespread and beyond control, as it is found in every state in the U.S., except Alaska and Florida.” Tumbleweeds are not on the Colorado Noxious Weed list which means the county does not enforce the management of the plant.

The County recommends mowing or using herbicides by property owners to limit the growth of tumbleweeds.