Sarasota was truly fortunate this September, as it suffered minor damage from the historically strong Hurricane Irma, which thankfully had weakened significantly by the time it reached our area. Two weeks later, the majority of buildings in the Sarasota County have electricity again, business and school has resumed, and evacuees have returned to their homes – life goes on.

However, one effect from Irma still lingers across the city: there is still copious storm debris that needs to be disposed. The powerful winds recklessly scattered leaves, branches, palm fronds, and sometimes even entire trees across yards and homes throughout Sarasota. In response, City of Sarasota waste management contractors and crews have been collecting debris seven days a week since September 18th, working from neighborhood to neighborhood, north to south.

If you are still waiting for storm debris to be collected from your home, here are some guidelines you should follow to ensure all debris will be properly disposed of:

• Do not mix household waste, bulk waste or recyclables with storm debris.
• Place vegetative debris at least three to five feet away from mailboxes, water meters, street signs, light poles, fire hydrants and trees. This will provide adequate room for heavy machinery to pick up debris.
• Do not place debris in the street or on top of storm drains.
• Do not park vehicles in front of debris.
• Do not bag debris or place in a container. Bagged debris will be picked up; however, it may not occur during the first collection cycle.

For more information, check out the Herald Tribune’s article on this topic, or read the City of Sarasota’s Storm Debris FAQs.