Janelle Irwin Taylor
Pinellas County has begun collecting residential storm debris, six days after Hurricane Helene rolled past the Tampa Bay area 100 miles off shore, causing unprecedented flooding and sending tropical-storm-force winds across much of the state.
People living in unincorporated sections of the county will begin seeing debris collected from roadsides beginning Wednesday, with neighborhoods in Crystal Beach, Ozona, West Palm Harbor, unincorporated Seminole and West Lealman slated for the first pickups.
The county has not yet announced the exact timing for other zones.
The county is also planning a second pickup round, at a date to be announced later.
Residents must follow specific protocols for debris pickup.
Items accepted include vegetative debris, such as logs, plants and tree branches; construction and demolition materials, such as carpeting, drywall, furniture and fencing; and household appliances.
Items must be separated from each other, with separate piles for vegetative debris, construction and demolition materials, and household appliances.
The county will not collect normal household trash or anything bagged; electronics or household hazardous waste, such as batteries; household chemicals; or gas.
The pickup schedule applies only to residents in unincorporated areas. Those living within a municipality should check with their city on information about debris collection.
A county website has information about zones and schedules, as well as a rundown of how much debris has been collected so far. As of 11 a.m., the tally had not been updated to include debris picked up on the first day of collection, with totals still showing nothing collected.
Self-disposal is also an option for residents, as is the county’s residential storm debris disposal site, located at 13600 Icot Blvd., which is open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Household appliances can be dropped off for disposal at one of three locations: Anclote Metal, located at 806 Anclote Rd. in Tarpon Springs; County Sanitation, located at 5601 Haines Rd. in St. Pete; or Trademark Metal, located at 9380 67th St. N. in Pinellas Park.
There are also three locations to drop construction materials and demolition debris: GFL Environmental, located at 1755 20th Ave. SE in Largo; Sarnago & Sons, located at 1741 N. Keene Rd. in Clearwater; and Waste Management, located at 12950 40th St. in Clearwater.
The county also has protocols for disposing of sand washed up on property. Residents impacted by sand intrusion can return the sand to the beach or sand dunes above the high tide line. Returned sand must not have stains, odors or debris, and the sand cannot be placed on dune plants, turtle nests or with hurricane-generated debris or construction debris.
For sand that does not meet that criteria, residents can request permission from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to place sand. Failure to follow protocol could result in civil penalties.
Residents should not put sand in trash cans or on the road. The county encourages those using heavy equipment to relocate and to be cautious of buried water lines or other infrastructure by calling 311.
Residents should also not dump sand on Gulf Boulevard, as public works crews are working with the DEP to screen sand and return it to the beach.
Those whose properties suffered sea wall damage should consult a structural engineer or licensed marine contractor before covering it with sand, as it could further damage the structure.
Used sandbags can be saved for use in a future possible flood event, or they can be returned to the Solid Waste Disposal Complex.
