Trees Bear The Brunt Of Hurricane Isabel's Winds 

Release Date: October 20, 2003
Release Number: 1493-32

» More Information on District of Columbia Hurricane Isabel

Washington, DC -- Hundreds of trees took a pounding when Hurricane Isabel's fierce winds and heavy rain descended on the District of Columbia last month. Fallen and uprooted trees impeded power restoration to thousands of residents, blocked access to throughways, and created tons of debris that had to be removed and disposed.

"Damage to trees during Hurricane Isabel was twice as bad as any storm in the recent past," said Tom Henderson, Department of Public Works (DPW) Administrator of Solid Waste.

Thankfully, there were no injuries or fatalities associated with the 1,600 downed trees that DPW tracked for removal after the storm and officials immediately instituted a process to remove the trees and other storm debris efficiently and expediently.

"District officials were one step ahead of us in the process of getting competitive bids to engage a contractor to remove debris," said David Kerkes, Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deputy public assistance officer. "They knew what to do and they did it right. As a result, the debris removal operation is going quite well."

The approximately 30,000 cubic yards of debris is taken to staging sites, six at the height of the disaster and since downsized to three. One of the three sites is used for grinding into mulch. DPW will use as much of the mulch as possible and make it available to residents as well.

We haven't seen the full extent of Hurricane Isabel's wrath on trees, however. "There is some damage that won't be visible until a moderate storm or high winds hit the area," says Henderson. "Then the broken treetops and branches caused by Hurricane Isabel will topple causing additional debris."

Costs for removing debris caused by Hurricane Isabel is estimated to be millions of dollars. However, FEMA will pay the lion's share -- 75 percent -- of the tab for this and other emergency protective expenses through its public assistance program.

"The public assistance program is crucial in helping state and local governments rebuild after disasters," said Scott Wells, federal coordinating officer for Washington, D.C. "Not only will it help the District with debris removal costs, but funds are also available to help cover other expenditures such as the increased expense of operating the emergency operations center 24-hours a day during the disaster, temporary hires and damage to public facilities."

On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 04-Nov-2003 09:55:50