Hurricane and Tropical Storm season is at its peak!
Our priority during the first week after a disaster is your health and safety. We will ensure the prompt collection of putrescible residential waste. Remember that during power outages, a tremendous amount of rotting waste is generated. Collection of this is our priority. Following this initial period, we will continue to collect normal resident waste, including grass clippings.
It is encouraged to place household waste in white bags and grass clippings in clear or brown paper bags and to separate them from any debris generated because of the disaster.
Storm debris is trash from an event such as a hurricane, flood, windstorm, etc., that generates more than the average amount of waste a resident normally produces. This can include bagged yard debris, but it is not limited to downed trees, excessive branches and leaves blown off trees, fallen fences, roofing, and construction debris from the house because of water damage.
Storm debris should be placed at the curb away from your regular household waste. Please check with your local government for guidelines on how to properly place your debris out for collection.
The collection of storm debris and waste generated by these conditions is not included under the terms and conditions of Best Trash’s agreement with the District. Also, note that construction and remodeling debris is not considered normal trash. Please see our website, www.best-trash.com for details.
Storm Debris Removal Resource Guide
Debris should be placed curbside without blocking the road or storm drains. Additionally, residents should avoid placing debris near or on structures such as trees, poles, mailboxes, fire hydrants, and meters.
Guidelines from the Federal Emergency Management Agency require debris to be separated into six categories:
- Electronics: televisions, computers, stereos, phones, DVD players, and other devices with cords
- Large appliances: refrigerators, washing machines and dryers, air conditioners, stoves, water heaters, and dishwashers
- Hazardous waste: oil, batteries, pesticides, paint, cleaning supplies, and compressed gas
- Vegetative debris: tree branches, leaves, logs, and plants
- Construction debris: building materials, drywall, lumber, carpet, furniture, and plumbing
- Household garbage: bagged garbage, discarded food, paper, and packaging
The specifics
Local government entities may have varying requirements in their debris pickup procedures. Additional information is linked below:
- Fort Bend County (608) 492-0522 (833) 307-9937: Please be patient. Following a storm, the top priority is our community’s health and safety and the county’s restoration. Keep household garbage, recycling, and vegetative and/or construction storm debris in separate piles. Debris must be neatly stacked or piled curbside by debris type. Don’t block roadways, traffic signs, drains, or stormwater structures.
- Harris County Precinct 3: To request collection, please visit the Harris County Precinct 3 website or call (713) 274-3100. Regular household trash and bagged debris will not be picked up with disaster debris. You should continue to follow the regular garbage removal schedule. Household hazardous waste will not be picked up with regular debris piles.
- Harris County Precinct 4 (832-927-4444) service@hcp4.net: Please be patient. A natural disaster can affect entire counties. The debris collectors will make at least three passes in your area. Please call or email if your debris has not been removed after the third collection round. Regular household trash and bagged debris will not be picked up with disaster debris. You should continue to follow your regular garbage removal schedule.
- Montgomery County: Please be patient with the county during storm debris removal. Do not place tree debris in trash bags. Debris must be placed on the county/city right-of-way. It cannot be collected on private property or in gated communities. Do not place debris in ditches or natural drainage ways that will impede water flow. Also, do not place debris on a roadway that will become a traffic hazard.
- City of Houston: If your house doesn’t have a sidewalk, ditch, or utility line in front of it, place debris at the edge of your property before the curb. Placing debris near or on trees, poles, or other structures makes removal difficult. This includes fire hydrants and meters. Separate debris into these categories: vegetative debris, electronics, appliances, and white goods.
- City of Jersey Village: Residents are encouraged to get their tree debris to the curb as soon as possible. Contractors will make a pass to clean it up. Debris removal crews will be using large trucks with grapples on them. Due to its proximity to trees, mailboxes, etc., the grapple may not be able to clear the debris in front of your home. If it appears your house was skipped, please be assured that crews will be by again with a different means of picking up your debris. There is no need to report this. City staff will verify that all debris is picked up before the company leaves Jersey Village.
- City of Katy: Storm Debris should be separated by vegetative debris and fence debris. Bagged debris, appliances, construction or demolition waste, and hazardous waste will not be picked up.
- City of Pearland: Debris should be separated into the following categories: regular household trash, vegetative, construction and demolition, appliances and white goods, electronics, and household hazardous waste. The current waste service provider is picking up bagged debris concurrently with Ceres picking up storm debris. Haul vehicles will be in the right-of-way once they are in place. Please be patient, as slow-moving vehicles may slightly impact traffic, and please remember not to block debris piles. Please ensure access to the debris and do not block it. Vehicles, street poles, fire hydrants, and other obstacles adjacent to debris piles will inhibit debris pickup; as a result, piles that are blocked will be skipped. Please ensure debris is accessible to the vehicles.
- City of Sugar Land: Storm debris does not need to be trimmed down or bundled, and standard green waste procedures do not need to be followed. Trees, stumps, tree branches, tree trunks, lumber, fence panels, and roofing materials can be placed at the curb as they are and will be collected. Neighbors can combine small debris piles into one large pile of vegetation debris, including limbs and trees. This will reduce the contractor’s time to move their equipment from pile to pile. While debris collection is happening, please note that there will be different debris collection trucks for each pile of vegetative debris, construction and demolition debris, and refrigerators/freezers. Please keep the roadway clear of vehicles. Keep a safe distance from the workers and refrain from interrupting them during their tasks.
- City of Tomball: See Harris County Precinct 3.
- City of Magnolia: See Magnolia County.
- City of Missouri City: Storm Debris (trees, stumps, loose branches) and other materials (lumber, fencing, roofing) should be separated and stacked separately.
- City of West University Place: Regular trash, recycling, and bagged yard waste should only be placed curbside on your regular collection days. The storm debris collection vendor will not collect these items. Residents should move storm-related debris to the curb and keep it separate from regular trash. Please separate tree debris from construction debris. This will help crews to sort and collect debris more efficiently. All debris should be placed in the city right-of-way (between the curb and sidewalk).