More Storm Debris Picked Up After Ian Than Irma In Sarasota County

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — As Sarasota County continues to clean up after Hurricane Ian’s wallop to the region at the end of last month, more vegetative storm debris has already been picked up in the area than after the last major storm to hit the area, Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Sarasota County Solid Waste contractors collected 304,381 cubic yards of right-of-way storm debris from unincorporated areas since Oct. 6, according to a county news release.

This exceeds the 300,000 cubic yards of vegetative debris collected over four months following Hurricane Irma, the county said.

With debris collection ongoing, the county offers the following tips for preparing debris for pickup:

• Place your pile. Make sure that your debris pile is easily accessible, away from away from vehicles, telephone poles, fire hydrants, street signs, light poles, mailboxes or anything that could be damaged during collection.
• Maintain your drains. Ensure that your roads and storm drains are clear of debris. Debris can block drainage, causing flooding and degrade water quality.
• Bag, bundle and bin it. Place smaller debris like leaves, moss and twigs in bags, bundles or trash bins.
• Sort and separate. Keep trash and other items, like bagged smaller debris, away from your storm debris pile.

Burning of any storm debris is prohibited in the county code and can adversely impact the community's air quality and create nuisance conditions, the county said.

Collection zones can be found here.

There are three free public drop-off sites available for residents to self-haul and self-unload vegetative storm debris from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., daily:

• 2501 Dr. Martin Luther King Way, Sarasota.
• Rothenbach Park, 8650 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota.
• Jackson Road Transfer Station, 250 S. Jackson Road, Venice.

Public drop-off sites require proof of residency. For additional information call 311.