Harvey Cleanup: Houston Debris Removal A Round-The-Clock Process

HOUSTON, TX — The cleanup efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey is quite the Herculean task that seems to have no end in sight. While residents try and get back to some kind of normalcy, piles of debris still line the Houston streets nearly a month after the Category 4 storm devastated Texas and dropped more than 50 inches of rain in many parts of the region.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner addressed the topic of the city's removal of storm debris from homes and other buildings in the city. This includes a state-approved 24-hour landfill, the use of 311 for debris pickup and answers to questions like when it'll be picked up and why the entire pile wasn't picked up.

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Landfills to operate 24 hours a day

At Turner's request, Gov. Greg Abbott has arranged for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to allow Houston's landfills to operate 24 hours a day to accept flood debris.

The change allows debris collection trucks to deposit at temporary sites during the day and then transfer it to landfills at night, thus allowing more daytime hours to collect debris in neighborhoods.

Debris cleanup by the numbers

• 300 — Trucks operated by the city, contractors and crews from other Texas cities are picking up debris across Houston. More trucks are expected.
• 8 million — cubic yards of debris is expected.
• 250 million — Cost in dollars to pick up debris, with 90 percent of the cost covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Call 311 If you need debris collection

To assist with debris collection efforts, the city asks citizens to report storm debris collection needs to 311. The city doesn't use 311 call volume to prioritize storm debris removal. Residents should only make one report per address; multiple reports to 311 won't be accepted and they will not speed or prioritize debris collection.

The reports will help better target collection efforts and provide documentation for FEMA to provide funds to the city.

How to Report to 311 — USE the 311 APP or website for faster service

To avoid long wait times, residents are strongly encouraged to use the Houston 311 mobile app (iTunes / Google Play Store) or click on the Report Harvey Debris button on the City of Houston’s website or the 311 website. 311’s call center is experiencing higher than average call wait times — up to 9 minutes at peak times. Using the app and website will reduce call wait times and make it easier for Houstonians who do not have easy access to a smart phone or a computer to report collection needs by telephone.

• HOUSTON 311 APP: IPhone and Android users can download the app from iTunes or theGoogle Play Store. Click on the Harvey Debris icon.
• Houston 311 website: www.houstontx.gov/311 click on Report Harvey Debris
• City of Houston website: www.houstontx.gov click on Report Harvey Debris for Pickup

Frequently asked questions

When will the debris at my home be collected?

Collections are taking places throughout the city, which is working to provide as much information as possible about scheduling for each area. Information about the schedule for each address or block is not available throughout the city at this point. The city recognizes the need to collect all debris as soon as possible following the record-high amount of rainfall produced by Hurricane Harvey.

Why wasn’t all my debris collected when trucks came through my area?

Some residents may have more debris than can be collected in one truckload. Additional collection trips may be necessary. Once the first pass is made, any remaining or additional debris must be moved to the curb to be collected by the city in subsequent trips. Check Solid Waste Management’s website www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste for debris collection updates.

Why can’t the city pick up debris in my yard or driveway?

City collection vehicles can only reach debris if it is within 10-15 feet from the curb.
Seehttp://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/CurbsideDebrisPDF.pdf for more instructions.

Where can I get more help?

Crisis Cleanup https://crisiscleanup.org/ 844-965-1386 or at www.houstonrecovers.org

Image: Debris is piled up outside of C.E. King High School by students and volunteers helping to clean up the school after torrential rains caused widespread flooding in the area during Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey on September 1, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus Christi on August 25, dumped around 50 inches of rain in and around areas of Houston and Southeast Texas.

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images