Hurricane Milton debris pickup starts Monday in Polk County: What to know

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Polk County officials announced that debris collection will begin Monday, Oct. 14, as part of ongoing recovery efforts following Hurricane Milton.

The county is asking residents to move storm debris to the curb for pickup.

If you live on a private road or in a gated community, your homeowner’s association or road owner must sign a right-of-entry form , as required by FEMA. This form allows county trucks to access private roads for debris collection.

One way to determine if you live on a private road is by checking street signs — white signs usually mean private roads, while green ones indicate public roads. A list of private roads is also available on the county’s website .

Residents will be able to track the cleanup progress through a dashboard on the county’s website in the coming days, Polk County Emergency Management Director Paul Womble said at a Sunday press conference.

In addition to debris removal, the county is actively working to restore essential services. As of 3 p.m. Sunday, approximately 24,000 customers remained without power across Polk County.

“That’s about 6% of the customers in the county,” Womble said. “Several of the power companies have provided estimated times to have substantial restoration efforts completed, and those range. Duke Energy is tonight at midnight. Tyco reported that theirs is Tuesday, Oct. 15.”

“Just know they’re working around the clock to get power restored,” he added.

Polk County is also included in a federal disaster declaration, allowing residents to apply for individual assistance through FEMA. Womble explained that residents can register for aid via disasterassistance.gov , the FEMA mobile app, or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA.

A fixed FEMA facility is expected to open soon in Polk County, where residents can meet with caseworkers in person, as well. However, an exact opening date has not yet been announced.

Those in need of additional help with tasks, like debris removal and temporary tarps, can call the Crisis Cleanup hotline at 1-844-965-1386 or visit crisiscleanup.org . For the right-of-entry form, residents can call 1-863-534-2580 or email realestate@polk-county.net .

Womble said officials will continue to provide updates about recovery efforts throughout the week and directed residents to visit www.polk-county.net and follow the county’s social media accounts for more information.

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