SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Initial estimates indicate Hurricane Irma left nearly 1 million cubic yards of debris in Seminole County alone, compared to Hurricane Matthew, which generated 15,000 cubic yards of debris, officials said.
Officials said that debris assessment and removal operations in the county are underway.
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Regular refuse collection
Normal refuse collection services resumed Tuesday for unincorporated Seminole County residents. County officials said residents whose service was suspended due to the storm should put garbage out on their next regularly scheduled pickup day.
Large vegetative storm debris collection
Seminole County government has engaged multiple contractors to expedite heavy storm debris collection. County officials said they anticipate the contractors will be mobilized early next week based on availability of equipment.
"The impact of Hurricane Harvey and the widespread nature of Hurricane Irma have made availability of resources challenging for the region," county officials said.
The process of collecting the large yard waste will take several weeks due to the overwhelming magnitude of bulky storm debris, county officials said. Residential drop-off sites for vegetative debris are currently being established and will be communicated on PrepareSeminole.org.
"Seminole County government appreciates the patience and flexibility of our residents as we accomplish the restoration process," county officials said.
Residents may begin placing large vegetative debris -- which includes logs, bushes, tree branches, root balls, plants, fence panels and other bulky storm debris -- curbside. County officiails said if residents are unsure where to place debris and do not have a sidewalk, ditch or utility line in front of their home, debris should be placed at the edge of property before the curb.
"Debris should not block fire hydrants, roadways, storm drains, mailboxes, utility poles or sprinklers," county officials said. "Any debris placed behind the sidewalk or adjacent to private property will not be picked up."
File: Debris management for unincorporated Seminole County
Small vegetative storm debris collection
The county's regular residential garbage haulers will collect small yard waste that is bagged to provide some immediate relief. County officials said haulers are unable to collect large debris due to limited equipment, but will collect bagged items that include leaves, palm fronds, grass clippings, pine cones and rakeable brush.
In addition to Wednesday, the regularly scheduled yard waste collection day, Seminole County haulers will also collect yard waste and small storm debris on Saturday for the next several weeks, county officials said. The haulers will make every effort to reach each customer on both yard waste days, however in order to do so, a five-bag, 50 pounds per bag limit has been instituted. In the event a hauler is unable to collect bags immediately after they are set out, they will collect them on the next yard waste pickup day.
Click here for additional details, including debris collection collateral.