How Do You Clean Up Debris After a Hurricane in South Florida?

Start with safety and your local officials. FEMA's Florida hurricane guidance says to take care when cleaning up, because dangling power lines, flooding and other hazards remain, and to follow guidance from your local officials when placing debris for collection. Collection rules differ from city to city, so check your city's announcements and Broward County's official hurricane site before you start building piles.

Then document before you throw anything away. FEMA's debris-removal fact sheet recommends photographing damaged items from different angles to support an insurance claim, and FEMA also suggests checking with your insurance agent about whether tree damage is covered by your policy.

After that, FEMA's advice is simple: get rid of everything that is destroyed and can't be saved, and sort it as you go so you don't have to handle it twice.

Storms leave real damage here. Coral Springs, for example, estimated that the 2004 and 2005 storms, including Hurricane Wilma, which passed directly over the city, cut its tree canopy by about one third (Wikipedia).

FEMA asks residents to sort debris by category and place it at the side of the road in separate piles. Its Florida hurricane release lists these categories and examples:

• Electronics, such as televisions, computers or phones
• Large appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves or dishwashers. Seal or secure the doors so they are not accessible.
• Hazardous waste, such as oil, batteries, pesticides, paint or cleaning supplies
• Vegetative debris, such as tree branches, leaves or plants
• Construction debris, such as drywall, lumber, carpet or furniture
• Household garbage, such as discarded food, paper or packaging

Where you put the piles matters too. FEMA says to place debris away from trees, poles or structures, including fire hydrants and meters, and that debris should not block the roadway.

FEMA's fact sheet adds that much vegetative material can be burned or ground into mulch, which is one reason it's kept separate from everything else.

A dump trailer doesn't replace your city's storm collection. It's for the debris you'd rather get off your property yourself, on your own schedule, instead of leaving it piled at the curb. It works best for:

• Yard waste: branches, palm fronds, brush and downed shrubs. In Pompano Beach, a landscaping client used one of our 24-yard trailers to clean up vegetation and debris (branches, brush and yard waste).
• Water-damaged contents: wet carpet and pad, ruined furniture, mattresses and boxed belongings
• Tear-out from repairs: drywall, flooring, cabinets and damaged fencing or screen enclosures your contractor removes
• A private cleanup you want done before collection resumes, or debris your city won't take at the curb

Every trailer includes 7 days and 1 ton. The 15 yard ($350) is our compact size for smaller cleanups and yard debris; the 24 yard ($485) is our largest, for whole-home cleanouts and major projects. The 18 yard ($395) and 21 yard ($440) sit in between.

Watch the weight. Soaked carpet, drywall and furniture weigh more than they do dry, and green branches are heavier than dead brush. Weight over the included ton is $120 per ton, so tell us what's going in when you book.

Some storm debris can't go in our trailers at all. If any of these are found in the load, it's returned to your property and a $100 surcharge applies:

• Appliances containing refrigerant: refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners, which are common after a long power outage
• Tires and batteries
• Paint and paint cans
• Propane tanks
• Ammunition
• Hazardous materials. FEMA's examples of hazardous waste include oil, batteries, pesticides, paint and cleaning supplies.

A few more things to keep separate:

• Spoiled food and household garbage belong with your regular garbage service, as FEMA lists them as their own category. Ask us before putting food waste in a trailer.
• Electronics: ask first. FEMA notes they have components that may be dangerous, and some parts can be recycled.
• Concrete, pavers and broken block are heavy and better handled as clean fill. Clean fill trailers are available upon request; see clean fill disposal.
• Anything that may contain lead-based paint: FEMA says to keep those materials moist or contain them in plastic bags.

Our junk removal crews can take some appliances a trailer can't. Text photos and we'll tell you what we can take.

We can't promise availability after a storm. Roads, conditions and demand change quickly, and we schedule around safe access. The fastest way to find out what we can do is to text photos of the debris and your address to (954) 247-1399. We'll tell you what we can schedule and which size fits.

If you're a contractor handling storm repairs on several properties, tell us up front. Trailer swaps and repeat hauls are easier to plan when we know the scope. See dumpsters for contractors.

Less clutter means less to move, secure and possibly lose. In general, the weeks before a storm are a good time to:

• Clear out the garage so a car, generator or patio furniture can go inside
• Get rid of old furniture, boxes and junk stored outside or in screened porches
• Trim back dead branches and haul away yard waste instead of leaving piles that can blow around
• Finish half-done renovation projects so loose debris isn't sitting in the yard

A yard waste and storm debris trailer or a junk removal visit handles most of this. Check Broward County's hurricane site for evacuation and preparedness information.