Manatee County debris removal effort keeps on trucking

Back-to-back hurricanes left Manatee County lawns and sidewalks littered with debris. Over 7,700 truckloads worth have been removed since Oct. 14, and the effort continues. 

“We know it’s trying. We know it’s unsightly, but we’re doing everything we can,” County Administrator Charlie Bishop said. 

The county has contracted with out-of-county haulers and set up temporary disposal sites to get the debris removed as quickly as possible. 

After Hurricane Ian in 2022, a pile of debris sat in front of Jim and Susan Eicken’s home in River Club for weeks. The debris killed all the grass underneath it. 

Hurricane Milton left behind an equally large pile of branches and yard debris. On Friday, the pile was about as high as Jim Eicken, who is 5 feet 10 inches tall. And the Eickens weren’t done adding to the pile. 

However, dead grass is not the couple’s biggest concern after such an active hurricane season. 

“If another storm hits, we’re worried about it blowing around,” Jim Eicken said. “It could be debris that could hurt us.”

The county had similar concerns as Hurricane Milton approached less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene left the islands covered in sand and littered with debris on Sept. 27. 

In the days leading up to Hurricane Milton’s landfall, additional trucks were brought into the county to get rid of as much of the remaining debris as possible.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper was smacked in the face by a piece of flying styrofoam as he reported on Hurricane Milton from Bradenton’s Riverwalk on Oct. 9. The reporter carried on relatively unfazed, but branches and construction debris can do a lot more damage. 

The National Weather Center’s website warns that anything left outside during a hurricane “can become flying missiles.” 

"We appreciate the patience and cooperation from all residents as we navigate through this extensive cleanup operation," Director of Utilities Patrick Shea said in an email. "The community's understanding is crucial as we work to restore normalcy as swiftly as possible."

Hurricane season doesn’t officially end until Nov. 30. November hurricanes are rare, but they do happen. Hurricane Nicole landed as a Category 1 near Vero Beach on Nov. 10, 2022.

The National Weather Service reports that “Nicole was only the third hurricane on record to make landfall in Florida during the month of November, with the last storm being Hurricane Kate in 1985.”

The goal

By the end of the day on Oct. 22, Manatee County had removed 227,945 cubic yards of debris. 

On Oct. 25, alone, another 42,000 cubic yards of yard debris was removed. 

“Debris trucks are currently operating throughout Manatee County, including Lakewood Ranch, with around 80 trucks working from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week,” Shea said. 

“To ensure efficient service for all residents, we’re strategically picking up debris across the county, focusing on the hardest hit areas while also addressing less impacted neighborhoods.”

Right now, the county has eight temporary disposal sites set up. The sites are strategically placed across the county to speed up the removal process. The trucks don’t have to drive to the landfill at Lena Road every time they need to dump a load of debris. 

Additional sites could be activated as debris removal continues, but the sites would have to be reviewed and approved for environmental safety by the Department of Environmental Protection first.

Eventually, the debris from those temporary sites will be moved to permitted disposal facilities outside of the county. 

The county is not disclosing the locations of the temporary sites because they don’t want residents dropping off debris. Only contracted haulers can dump on those sites, and each load is scanned in and tracked.

While the majority of pickups are happening on the westside of the county, over 1,800 truckloads have also been removed from East County, as well.

There are also two sites where Manatee County residents can unload debris themselves at no charge. The Lena Road Landfill is operating daily from 6 a.m. to midnight, and an additional site in Bradenton was opened at 4700 66th Street West from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

While county staff is working to clear the debris as quickly as possible, no one can say when it will be completely cleared. 

However, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has agreed to reimburse debris collection at 100% for the 90 days following Hurricane Milton. Typically, FEMA only reimburses 75% and leaves the state and individual county to split the remaining 25%. 

“If pickup volume continues, it is possible that over 3,000,000 cubic yards of debris will be picked up due to the recent hurricanes,” Shea said. “Our goal is to clear the majority of debris within the 90-day time frame, and we will continue to adapt our efforts based on the situation.”

The debris contractor plans to add to the fleet of about 80 trucks to meet the goal. The county does not have an estimate of what the total removal will cost right now. 

To see live updates on how much debris has been removed, visit the county's Extreme Weather Dashboard at MyManatee.org/storm.

Once the debris is removed, the yard waste will be ground into mulch and transported to a compost facility. The yard waste will not be disposed of in the Lena Road Landfill. it will end up outside of Manatee County. 

The truckloads are sorted between construction and demolition materials, vegetative materials and sand. 

“Every piece of debris represents a part of someone's life that was uprooted,” Shea said. “Homes have been damaged, landscapes altered, and lives disrupted. As we all work together to rebuild and recover, the patience and understanding of those dealing with the aftermath are not just appreciated, but are truly invaluable.”

Neighbors like the Eickers have concerns, but are more than willing to wait.

“We’re appreciative that the county stepped up to pull this waste away, rather than us trying to arrange for it,” Jim Eickers said.