Debris pickup almost complete across North Carolina
By From staff reports
Published in News on October 11, 2011 1:46 PM
RALEIGH -- Debris removal from state-maintained roadways is complete in Columbus and Sampson counties, and crews are close to completing debris collection in Wayne, Duplin, Edgecombe, Nash, Sampson and Wilson counties.
More than 55,500 tons of trees and limbs that fell during Hurricane Irene have been removed with the help of contractors working for the N.C. Department of Transportation. That's about the size of 2,600 school buses.
DOT will only collect vegetation debris such as trees and limbs. Property owners are asked to cut storm-related vegetation debris into five- or six-foot pieces, if possible.
Residents are asked to place debris such as downed trees and limbs along the side of the roadway as soon as possible. They should put vegetation in separate piles from other debris, as DOT crews are not collecting construction and demolition debris. Make sure debris is not placed in travel lanes or in areas where it could block drainage or reduce visibility for motorists and pedestrians.
DOT officials ask residents to be patient while crews make their way through counties, and to be alert for large equipment in the road that is used to clear debris.
People are reminded to check their homeowner's insurance since debris cleanup is often covered by insurance and arrangements for its collection will be handled by the insurance company.
A total of 36 counties were designated by the federal government for public disaster assistance and clearing continues in most of them.
The counties with public disaster declarations are Beaufort, Bertie, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Sampson, Tyrrell, Vance, Warren, Washington and Wayne.