Roadside collection for Hurricane Irma debris underway, slowly
The trees and bushes Hurricane Irma blew down will take weeks to haul away, according to Treasure Coast officials.
Special curbside pickups of tree and plant debris started in earnest this week along the Treasure Coast.
Crews are going house by house along hundreds of miles of roads lined with heaps of brown vegetation from yard cleanups.
Just in Indian River County's unincorporated areas, it is estimated there is enough to fill a truck more than 6 miles long.
More:Hurricane Irma caused more than $1.5 million in Indian River private-property damage
Add in the other two counties, plus cities, and the debris amounts to hills comparable to what was collected during last year's Hurricane Matthew. But is is expected to be far less than during the back-to-back hurricanes in 2004.
Indian River and Martin counties are estimating their cleanups could take weeks. St. Lucie estimates a month.
Despite the amount of debris, "we feel fortunate," said Allison MacDonald, director of the St. Lucie County Solid Waste Division.
Her agency expects to collect 50,000 cubic yards of materials. Harder-hit Collier County may haul off up to 10 million cubic yards, she said.
Treasure Coast residents who can't wait can hire private companies such as landscape companies, officials said. Also, regular weekly garbage and trash pickups are resuming. To qualify for those pickups, many local governments require that homeowners tie yard wastes in bundles rather than leave it in loose piles.
More: Complete coverage of Hurricane Irma
Initially, just limbs and downed branches are being picked up as a post-storm courtesy at curbside, one pile at a time.
Don't put garbage in the piles and leave the plant debris unsacked, officials say.
Residents are asked to keep the materials at the edge of a road, but not on it or on sidewalks or near fire hydrants or power poles. Make sure the debris isn't under overhanging limbs or power lines that could get in the way of removal equipment.
For further information, contact local governments.
More:Why is so much vegetation brown after Irma?
Indian River County
Unincorporated areas: The pickup schedule for private roads is being determined, and the county first wants to get approval from FEMA. On Tuesday the County Commission agreed to ask for the approval. In the meantime, private subdivisions are being asked to submit a pickup form to the county. Instructions are on the county's website.
Yard waste from public roads is going to the county landfill off Oslo Road, south of Vero Beach. The county fairgrounds will be used for collections from private roads.
Vero Beach: All public streets will be collected first, followed by private subdivisions. The city plans to post a collection map that will be updated daily at http://www.covb.org.
Sebastian:The city is doing an initial pickup, followed by a second collection in two to three weeks.
Indian River Shores: The city's regular waste haulers will be picking up yard trash along public roads. Pickup in private subdivisions is up to homeowner associations.
St. Lucie County
Unincorporated areas: Pickup includes private subdivisions. The waste is going to county property off Kings Highway and near St. Lucie Boulevard.
Fort Pierce: For information, visit the city's website.
Port St. Lucie: The Public Works Department is overseeing the storm cleanup efforts. All yard waste (and other storm-generated debris) is being picked up by a city contractor for the next several weeks. It began Monday. For questions about storm debris, call the debris management hotline at 772-529-0934 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. Visit www.cityofpsl.com for more information.
Martin County
Unincorporated areas: County contractors will make multiple passes for debris pickup. The pickup starts with plant debris. Later, they will pick up construction and demolition debris. The county's website includes a map showing progress of the pickup.
Stuart: For information, visit the city's website.