HOUSTON — It could take at least a month before all debris from Hurricane Beryl is picked up in Houston, according to the city’s Solid Waste Management Department.
A department leader told KHOU 11 that this is due to the "large magnitude" of Hurricane Beryl’s wind damage.
In areas of the Heights on Monday, debris piles could be seen at house after house.
One longtime resident was relieved when a truck picked up his pile on Sunday.
“It was just a big pain in the butt,” Dale Barton told us. “We lost four or five big trees. We had one completely cover the street, and branches and we got it to the side, and yesterday a truck picked up all of it, yay!”
When the trees fell, Barton also lost power. He said it was wonderful to finally have it restored on Monday.
"It's miserable living in the darkness and heat," Barton said.
The City of Houston estimates it could take 30 to 60 days to haul away all of the storm debris. Three outside contractors were brought in to assist with the massive undertaking.
“We are coming, it might take us a little time,” Helvia Quinones with Solid Waste said.
She said crews may pass through a neighborhood more than once and the first round could take a couple of weeks. Quinones is asking residents to assist in making it easier for crews to clean up.
“Start collecting the material and put it on the curb. Start separating the material from vegetative material to construction and demolition," Quinones said. "And try to avoid having cars parked in the streets. The less blockage these vehicles encounter, the better it is."
You shouldn't put debris in ditches because they help with flood control.
Quinones is asking residents to call 3-1-1 to debris that needs to be picked up.
Harris County Public Health also reminds residents that cleaning up debris near storm drains can help drain standing water and prevent mosquitos from breeding.
The city says it will be hauling the mountains of debris to a site where some will be ground down and repurposed as mulch in city parks or put dumped in landfills.