PREPARE YOUR YARD FOR QUICK DEBRIS PICKUP

After a hurricane, the City will pickup residential debris. The cleanup process begins after the community has been stabilized. This means cleanup might not begin immediately after a storm but several weeks later. A stabilized community means: 

• Streets have been cleared. 
• Lives are accounted for. 
• The health needs of the citizens are being met.

BE AWARE | A hurricane cleanup process could take up to a few months, depending on the size of the storm. Please be patient with the crews. They work as fast and efficiently as they can. You can always take your debris to the convenience center at anytime once it is open after a storm.

PROCESS STEPS TO UNDERSTAND AS WE CLEANUP LAKE JACKSON

FIRST PASS | Our first cleanup round could last many weeks. We ask you to brace for that long span. We expect some residents to have their pile in their yard for a while. If you don't want to wait for us to remove your yard waste, trees, and limbs (green debris), and you have the ability, you can always take it to the mulch site yourself for free.

WE WILL COME BACK | If you aren't able to get your debris to the curb by the time we come by, don't worry. We realize many residents probably don't even have contractors lined up yet. We will come back around.

TOWARD THE END | Toward the end of a cleanup, you begin to see debris piles picked up faster. We will post on social media how the cleanup is progressing and be available to discuss it with anyone who needs help.  

STAGING | Staging your yard is critical if you want debris picked up as soon as possible. Please refer to the image below to learn how to stage your yard for cleanup after a hurricane. We reiterate these instructions on social media and our website during a hurricane cleanup.

HOW TO STAGE YOUR YARD

1. We do not charge you to pick up your storm debris during the cleanup. That means: Don’t burn your tree limbs and trunks in your backyard because you think we are going to charge you.

2. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP | Separate your trash and debris into the following stacks: Green – grass and trees. Construction – fencing, roofing, construction trash (not household trash)

3. Place the Green and Construction piles away from fire hydrants, water meters and light poles. Our crews won't pick it up if they are close to these structures. The grabbers can damage them. 

4. You might need to line your piles and household trash the entire length of your front yard. That’s ok. If we can grab it with our equipment, we will take it. 

5. Place your green and construction debris unbagged near the curb. We will not pick up green and construction trash if they are In bags.

6. UNBAG DEBRIS BUT BAG YOUR LEAVES | We cannot pick up unbagged leaves because they fly everywhere when we do. We only pick up leaves that are in bags.  If you have a pile of leaves at the curb, we will not pick it up. 

6. BE PATIENT | We may pick up some portions of your curbside debris and not others. It may feel like we are not paying attention to your debris. We are. We make many adjustments to pickup based on several issues during a storm. We will communicate as much as we can during the storm.

7. HOUSEHOLD TRASH & RECYCLABLES ARE NOT DEBRIS TRASH | Place your household trash in bags as you normally do. We announce when household trash routes and recycling routes begin after the storm. Be prepared for delays. Household trash after a storm is typically much greater than normal and takes longer to pick up. 

8. REGULAR HEAVY TRASH DESTROYED BY STORM | If you have regular heavy trash that you want to begin clearing before the crews arrive, you can take it to the convenience center once it has opened to the public. After a hurricane, we announce the opening when it's available again.