Hurricane Beryl debris removal in full swing, but public urged to help out

HOUSTON (KIAH) — Piles of tree limbs at the curbs of homes have become as commonplace as summer swarms of mosquitoes.

First came the derecho straight-line windstorm in mid-May that the Houston Solid Waste Management Department estimates generated a million cubic feet of debris.

Solid Waste Director Mark Wilfalk says his crews and contractors the city hired to collect all of that debris were 60% to 70% done with the job — but that’s when Hurricane Beryl hit last Monday.

“Now we have the daunting task of cleaning up all over again,” Wilfalk said.

The goal for his department is to collect most of the tree debris within the first 30 days after the storm hit.

In order to meet that goal, Solid Waste is asking for the public’s help.

Limbs blown off of trees and downed tree trunks should be cut into three to five foot chunks and set orderly at the curbs of homes between the sidewalk and the street.

“It really helps facilitate the ease in loading of the debris,” Wilfalk said. “It’s better. It’s more efficient.”

In addition to city crews, contractors hired to collect derecho debris are still on the job and will now assist in hurricane debris removal, and Wilfalk says two additional crews have been hired-on since Beryl hit.

That will hopefully ease the burden on the workers who’ve been collecting debris every day for the better part of two months now — many of whom are hurricane victims themselves.

“Unfortunately, many of our employees suffered some significant damages, power outages,” Wilfalk said. “Some family members even lost items, cars. Some of our employees have family members that really went through it, really faced some tough times.”

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