There’s no denying it: tropical storms and hurricanes make a mess. Toppled trees block streets and pull down power lines. Mountains of silt, sand and seaweed pile up on waterfront roads. Signs and shingles land three doors down. And that’s a best-case scenario. If the storm surge floods homes and businesses, then people are hauling ruined appliances and furniture, buckled flooring, mushy drywall and soggy bookshelves to the curb.
The good news is the Florida Keys have done this before. Monroe County and the municipalities have contracts in place with debris removal companies that get to work as soon as the storm passes and collect storm-related debris free of charge for residents and property owners.
Here are some tips to make the cleanup as quick and painless as possible:
DON’T MAKE THINGS WORSE
Never place debris under power and utility lines or near utility boxes (electric or water), where crews will be working to restore services. Keep the debris away from fire hydrants and utility poles. Residents are prohibited from dumping debris on vacant lots or other private property.
VEGETATION
Only damaged vegetation that has fallen and/or constitutes a hazard to life or property can be removed. Take pictures to prove there was a hazard in case a complaint is filed for improperly removing an annoying, but undamaged, tree.
Prepare your yard at the start of hurricane season by removing coconuts from palm trees and any weak fronds and limbs, as they can become deadly projectiles in 100-mph winds. But never trim trees near power lines; the electric companies handle that.
ILLEGAL DUMPING IS A FELONY
Illegally dumping household appliances, construction materials, boats, trailers, RVs, mopeds, tires and vegetative debris on county-owned vacant land and rights-of-way and streets is a felony. It’s also just a terrible thing to do. If a storm is bad enough to have ruined loads of vehicles, arrangements will be made and instructions will be forthcoming.
Every storm is different. Listen to local media, or read social media outlets, specifically radio and paper and county and city webpage and Facebook sites. These media outlets will provide for direction and instruction on how/when debris will be collected and picked up.