Hurricane Milton toppled trees in Tampa Bay. What happens to all the wood?

Buck Rollings’ phone has rung nonstop after Hurricane Milton carved through Tampa Bay, bending and breaking trees across the region.

In the days since, Rollings, a certified arborist, and his crew have worked upward of 16-hour days, triaging a community ravaged by storms.

If a tree is hanging precariously over a home, that’s where he goes first. Other calls, like limbs fallen into pool cages, have to wait.

“We’re working until we can’t work anymore,” Rollings said. “And then we’re getting up and doing it again.”

Hurricane Milton’s wind gusts were over 100 mph in some areas of Tampa Bay, and record rainfall saturated soils, creating a recipe for fallen trees and debris.

The tender wounds left behind by hurricanes Helene and Milton will be slow to heal — the millions of cubic yards of wreckage comprising resident’s belongings and vegetation is expected to take months to clear out.

But what will happen to all that wood once it’s collected? Local governments said toppled trees — once beloved for their canopy and shade —are likely to become mulch.

“As far as debris goes, it’s just massive,” Rollings said.

In Tampa, where the city is advocating for 30,000 trees planted by 2030, large trees now sit chopped up on the side of the road. And it could be months before the city takes them away. Mayor Jane Castor said Wednesday that the city’s prioritizing clearing out household wreckage from hurricanes Helene and Milton, and vegetation will be secondary.

“I think everyone would agree you’d rather see the limbs out on your yard, than to see all of your possession out there in the front of your homes,” Castor said.

Castor said the “vast majority” of wood from collected trees will be recycled. Most of the wood will be chipped at a debris management site, which are holding areas for wreckage from storms, and turned to mulch.

“We may see a bit of dust in this area as well, just to set the tone” said Larry Washington, the city’s director of solid waste, while speaking at a debris management site at 7215 S. Manhattan Ave.

In Hillsborough County, Kim Byer, the assistant county administrator for the public works department, said downed trees and vegetation will be ground and used beneficially for composting or decorative mulch.

Byer said if the market is oversaturated, the wood chips can be used for landfill cover. Traditionally, landfills are covered each day by soil to improve health and safety at the sites. However, mulch can be an alternative solution.

In Pinellas County, vegetative debris will chipped and sent to permitted landfills.

The city of St. Petersburg said the quickest way to get vegetative debris collected is to place it in a city trash bin, or to drop it off at a brush site. Material brought to brush sites is typically used to make mulch or as soil builder, the city said.

Officials are reminding residents to keep storm debris loose and separated by type. For example, vegetative material should be away from household appliances.

Local governments have been placed on a time crunch. The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved reimbursing all of the debris collection in Florida’s affected areas for a 90-day window.

Collecting debris within that period will save local and state dollars, and governments are looking to take advantage. Hillsborough County said the 90-day clock began on Monday.

“We feel that we will be able to do it in 90 days, maybe a little bit longer for some of the vegetation,” Castor said. “But we will definitely get the household up, without a doubt.”

More on storm debris cleanup

Local governments across Tampa Bay are collecting debris daily. For the most up-to-date information on debris cleanup, look to your local government.

Here are a few resources from some of Tampa Bay’s largest governments.

Hillsborough County

Hillsborough County has a webpage that provides cleanup resources, including debris drop-off sites and access to the county’s “storm debris collection lookup tool.”

The tool provides a look at debris collection scheduling.

Tampa

The city of Tampa’s website includes where to drop off debris, should you choose to. Additionally, the city has provided a map showcasing areas where debris cleanup is completed, in progress, or coming.

Pinellas County

To find debris drop-off facilities in Pinellas County and a debris collection dashboard, visit the county’s website.

St. Petersburg

For recovery information, including how to separate debris and the location of brush sites, visit the city of St. Petersburg’s website.

Pasco County

Pasco County’s website includes numerous hurricane resources in the county, including debris drop-off sites.