Pinellas County, FL

10/17/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/17/2024 15:37

Pinellas County announces updates to storm debris operations as hurricane recovery continues

newsOctober 17, 2024

Pinellas County announces updates to storm debris operations as hurricane recovery continues

Operational updates to storm debris collection

As hurricane recovery continues across Pinellas County, the County will adjust storm debris operations to speed up the debris pickup process.

The residential storm debris drop-off site at the corner of Keystone Road and East Lake Road in East Lake will close to the public at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20.The site will be converted for contractor use on Monday, Oct. 21, to expedite the County storm debris pickup process.

This change is necessary because the site cannot safely accommodate resident and large-scale debris drop-off at the same time. Currently, County contractors must travel up to an hour and a half roundtrip to the current drop-off, so this change will cut down travel time and get debris off the streets faster.

The residential storm debris drop-off site at 13600 Icot Boulevard in Clearwater will remain open, and its hours will expand to 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. starting on Monday.

County contractors have picked up more than 1,070 loads (more than 18,000 cubic yards) of storm debris in unincorporated Pinellas County as of Oct. 17 at 4 p.m. Updates on storm debris collection can be found at pinellas.gov/debris.

Storm recovery by the numbers

  • County and City crews continue to conduct residential damage assessments for Hurricane Milton. As of Oct. 17 at 4 p.m., 12,560 homes in Pinellas County have been assessed as damaged from Hurricane Milton. Details and updates on Hurricane Milton residential damage assessments can be found at pinellas.gov/damagedashboard.
  • Residential damage assessments for Hurricane Helene are complete, indicating 28,350 homes in Pinellas County are damaged from Hurricane Helene, including 268 destroyed and 16,803 with major damage.
  • As of Oct. 16, 307 businesses have been reported as damaged from Hurricane Milton and 585 from Hurricane Helene. Residents and businesses can report damages at disaster.pinellas.gov.
  • As of Oct. 17, 98,619 Pinellas County residents have applied for FEMA Individual Assistance for Hurricane Milton, and 67,289 residents have applied for Hurricane Helene. To date, FEMA has disbursed $80.6 million in FEMA Individual Assistance for Pinellas County residents for Hurricane Helene impacts and $26.3 million for Hurricane Milton impacts.
  • Crisis Cleanup has received 2,441 requests for assistance with cleaning up damage from hurricanes Helene and Milton, with 419 cases closed and 2,022 open. Local voluntary relief organizations will respond to these requests.

Resources for residents

  • Three Multiagency Resource Centers (Disaster Recovery Centers) are available and staffed with personnel from federal, state and regional partners to ensure that residents impacted by hurricanes Milton, Helene and Debby have access to helpful resources:
  • Florida Botanical Gardens (Magnolia Room): 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo -Open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Enoch D. Davis Center: 1111 18th Ave. S., St. Petersburg - Open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Dunedin City Hall: 737 Louden Ave, Dunedin - Open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Residents who need assistance for Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, or Hurricane Debby can also apply for FEMA assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, via the FEMA app or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). 
  • Residents who need help cleaning up damage can request assistance through the Crisis Cleanup at (844) 965-1386 or by visiting crisiscleanup.org.
  • The County Information Center remains open for post-storm questions from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call (727) 464-4333. The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Saturday, Oct. 19. Residents who are deaf or hard of hearing can contact the County Information Center via online chat at www.bit.ly/PinellasChat.