Manatee County Begins Post-Debby Debris Cleanup

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Manatee County will begin picking up storm debris as cleanup from Hurricane Debby continues a week after the storm pummeled parts of Florida's Gulf Coast.

Starting Tuesday, county officials said haulers would focus on picking up items in the most impacted areas of the county first, followed by multiple sweeps through all neighborhoods.

Officials asked residents with storm debris to follow these instructions when setting it out for contractors:

• Debris piles must be storm-related and should be properly separated. Contractors will not pick up mixed waste.
• Vegetative debris, construction debris and appliances should all be kept separate.
• Fencing should not be in with the trees and limbs as wood fencing is pressure-treated and must be processed separately.
• Debris piles should be kept at least three feet away from any mailboxes, backflows and hydrants and should not be blocked by vehicles.
• Piles also should not be under power lines or trees.

Debris-hauling vehicles are large and drivers should use caution in areas where they are operating, officials said.

• RELATED: FEMA Aid Available In Sarasota, Manatee Counties Following Debby

More information on debris removal can be found online.

Cleanup continued this week after Debby hit Florida as a hurricane on Aug. 5. The storm spent nearly a week unleashing tornadoes and flooding, damaging homes and taking lives along the East Coast.

The storm claimed the lives of several people and dumped multiple inches of rain on Florida, prompting flooding in some parts of the state.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.