The county’s debris contractor had 30 trucks working by dawn and had collected about 4,000 cubic yards of debris by noon Wednesday, said Assistant County Administrator Jared Lowe.
Lowe added that the county will have at least 125 trucks working by the end of the week.
“We’re proud of the speed, but it is a very long way to go,” he said.
County Administrator Brad Baker said at a recent press conference that the work should last a month, with debris clearing nearly completed by Veterans Day. Lowe called the time frame a “best-case scenario” and said the total could grow because some debris cannot be seen from the road.
“It could be a little longer,” he said.
Debris is the biggest safety issue for Santa Rosa County at the moment, Lowe said. With schools now reopening Oct. 19, he said, officials don’t want children waiting for buses beside debris piles.
The county urges residents not to rush to get all debris to the curb. Most county roads will get about three passes, with some getting up to five.
Lowe added that the county is seeing a slight increase in 911 calls for trauma-related injuries from chainsaw accidents or people getting hurt by limbs.
“What we don’t want people to do is rush and get everything out this week at the risk of harming themselves or others,” Lowe said.
Residents should keep debris away from power lines and water meters because trucks with extensions will not work under power lines and could damage newly repaired lines.
As to where the work is starting, Lowe said crews are working in multiple parts of the county at once. The first push was made by the Central Landfill to clear room for garbage trucks.
In the coming days, the county expects to tell residents which part of the county workers are in.
Debris will be hauled to a temporary site permitted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, where it will be ground up before disposal at several landfills.
The county keeps three debris contractors on retainer and activated one, Lowe said. Because Isaias was primarily a wind event, with no storm surge or flooding, most of the debris is tree limbs.
Lowe said the county also uses a debris monitor, which is required by FEMA, to maximize the amount of local spending to be reimbursed by the federal government.
