Hundreds drop off Hurricane Milton, Helene debris at St. Petersburg site

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla (WFLA) — Massive cleanup efforts are underway in St. Petersburg after back-to-back strikes from hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Hundreds of people and private haulers dropped off debris at a collection site reopened by the city on Saturday.

It’s located at 1953 72nd St. North, across from the Azalea Recreation Center. Mayor Ken Welch and other city leaders were there Saturday.

“The site is working very efficiently it is a well-oiled machine,” said Welch.

Cleaning up from back-to-back hurricanes is a big task. People packed their trucks with broken tree limbs. They stacked construction debris on top of haulers.

“All you can do is get it done right?” said one man who was with a group of people pitching in to clean up their neighborhoods.

In order to drop off at the site, you need proof of being a St. Petersburg resident. They accept vegetation, and construction and demolition debris.

“It’s not going to get done by itself, and if you wait on the city, it going to take forever so you might as well do it yourself,” said one man.

City crews are out picking up debris. They are using sanitation route maps to make sure they are covering the entire city.

“We know that getting the debris off your curbline is a number one priority, we understand that that’s part of the healing, please know that we are doing everything that we can to make that happen,” said Mike Jeffries, the city Community Enrichment Administrator.

Leaders and those bringing debris to the site agree the more we help each other, the faster the city will recover.

“I told the guy when I checked in, I said, ‘I’m just doing my part to help the city out because it’s one less house you have to stop at’,” said one man bringing in his debris.

This site is open from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Do not bag the debris you bring to the site, and remember to separate the vegetation from construction debris. At this site, you must unload by yourself, there will be no help from the staff.

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