Hurricane Debris Pick-Up Is A Priority Fema/State Effort
Release Date: October 11, 2004
Release Number: 1539-187
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- Twenty-seven million cubic yards of debris, enough to fill more than 50 college football stadiums from top to bottom, have been removed from Florida counties struck by four recent hurricanes, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) reported today.
“If trees and other debris have fallen on residents’ private property, the first thing they should do is check with their insurance agents to determine if tree damage is covered by the owner’s policy,” said Bill Carwile, federal coordinating office for FEMA.
The job is not over for ridding the state of the tons of debris dumped on streets, highways, curbsides and from private yards. Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne left behind them more than 40 million cubic yards of fallen trees, limbs and trash from damaged buildings on private and public property. Federal and state aid will help pay for removing debris from public property.
“If a fallen tree blocks access to a home, or is a health or public safety hazard, and there is no insurance coverage for the removal, the landowner may be eligible for financial aid for the work,” said State Coordinating Officer Craig Fugate of the State Emergency Recovery Effort (SERT).
For a limited time, residents can move debris from their private property to public rights-of-way for pick up and removal by local governments. However, no payment is authorized for debris removal from private roads such as those in gated communities. Debris removal from private property is generally the responsibility of the property owner, just as when it is not a disaster.
FEMA pays 100% of the costs of debris removal during the first 72 hours following a hurricane. For debris removal after that period, FEMA pays 90% of the costs. The remaining 10 % comes from state and local funds. The actual removal, storage and disposal of debris are performed by local governments, or by private contractors selected by the local governmental entities.
SERT is a collaboration of Florida’s state agencies led by the state coordinating officer. Its mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate their impact. Visit http://www.floridadisaster.org for the latest information on the hurricane relief effort.
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 the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 12-Oct-2004 11:31:25