VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — As part of the recovery efforts following Hurricane Milton, several counties have started the debris removal process.

In Volusia County, workers started a mass debris removal operation Friday for households in unincorporated areas, as well as those along county-maintained roads.

Driving on Volusia County the view is similar for many households as piles of debris on both sides of the road are still waiting to be removed, as the recovery process continues.

Spectrum News rode along with Volusia County Safety Coordinator Michael Wargo following one of two large grapple trucks the county has working to remove debris.

“It's always priority to get the right of ways open for emergency vehicles and hospitals free and care centers free," Wargo said. "So that's the thing that they focus on first and then work down from there."

As the crews made their way through the county, the truck stopped periodically on the side of the road to pick up large piles of debris containing anything from fallen trees, to branches, to leaves. As the operator worked his way through the pile, he filled two 60-cubic-yard containers. 

“We expect about 400,000 cubic yards of vegetative debris throughout the unincorporated portions of Volusia County, and about 25,000 cubic yards of construction and demolition or C&D debris,” said Volusia County Public Works Director Ben Bartlett.

County officials are asking residents to follow the guidelines as far as placing the debris on the public right of way, the area that extends from the street to the sidewalk, ditch, utility pole, or easement.

Guidance provided by Volusia County on setting up debris after Hurricane Milton. (Volusia County)

Residents should not place debris on the road as it obstructs traffic, hinders cleanup efforts, and makes it difficult for emergency vehicles to pass. They also recommend keeping debris away from drainage ditches, inlets, mailboxes, and power lines if possible, and not to cover storm drains, block fire hydrants, and exercise caution when near debris piles.

The debris should be separated into different piles for vegetative (leaves, branches, and cut trees); construction and demolition materials (carpet, furniture, fences, drywall); and appliances and white goods (refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, stoves). Do not place vegetative debris in plastic yard waste bags. Combined waste piles and plastic bags will not be picked up.

“We want to make sure those rules are followed so that we can get it picked up, because, unfortunately, the debris hauler, if they see bag material or and, you know, like wood fences mixed in with your vegetative debris, like your downed trees, those piles won't be picked up,” Bartlett said.

To make the process faster, the county has also set up multiple drop-off sites where residents can dispose of vegetative debris free of charge, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. An ID with proof of Volusia County residency is required at both of the following drop-off locations:

• Tomoka Landfill, 1990 Tomoka Farms Road, Port Orange
• Old Plymouth Landfill, 1991 W Plymouth Ave., DeLand

“If you have the means to haul your debris to one of these cities and drop off sites, please do so. Help your neighbor band together in your neighborhood and bring that debris to us and we'll get it out of there and it'll just help us get this done a lot quicker,” Bartlett said.

Bartlett said the debris removal process will ramp up during the upcoming weeks.

“Our goal is to get this debris out of here as fast as possible," he said. "We have 90 days to get it done and maintain 100% reimbursement from FEMA. So, we're going to try to hit that goal. But we anticipate picking up debris, probably through the end of the calendar year."

For residents who want more information on debris removal, Volusia County has set up a debris hotline at 866-345-0345. Additional information can also be found on the Volusia County government website.