topic Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane? in Community Chat

Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

new nickname 4 — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 14:26:13 GMT

I see the photos of houses destroyed, boats, entire neighborhoods. Where/what do they do with all of it. Do they haul it to somewhere, then separate it, reuse metal, grind the wood, bury it? Plus, I imagine there is a lot of items mixed in which makes it toxic. I guess that's what local government does, but does an individual homeowner pay a fee?

I understand flood damage, the homeowner needs to separate items to be collected, but certainly no homeowner can clean up much more than tree damage.

I just want to say how heartbroken I am for the people that are affected by this latest hurricane. I also am heartbroken whenever I read of other parts of our beautiful country when they face fires, tornadoes, mud slides, etc. It seems like everywhere we live, we are hit with something.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

Another new name Sue — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 14:28:48 GMT

I've wondered the same.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

deepwaterdotter — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 14:34:05 GMT

I'm guessing the county landfill.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

jlkz — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 14:36:51 GMT

@new nickname 4

A few years ago after Hurricane Irma made landfall on Marco Island, FL. It was 15 mins. from our condo in Naples. The huge resort contains almost 30 developments within its confines. The tree damage / loss went into the hundreds.

Folks who lived there year round told us that the sounds of chippers and shredders was almost non stop for over a week. I would imagine that the mulch got sold.

Like you I wonder where the rest of it goes, besides the salvageable to thrift stores and countries suffering similar devastation.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

Scooby Doo — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 14:37:45 GMT

@deepwaterdotter wrote:
I'm guessing the county landfill.

The whole area is a landfill.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

Sooner — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 14:37:50 GMT

Probably some of it will be buried, some aluminum maybe recycled, wood may be burned, some go on barges and dumped deep ocean, but it will be a massive and expensive job, and not all will be "eco friendly."

It will cost all of us a pretty penny for sure. And I'll bet the country has little savings (other than print more money/more inflation) for this either.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

SloopJohnB — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 14:38:05 GMT

@new nickname 4 wrote:
I see the photos of houses destroyed, boats, entire neighborhoods. Where/what do they do with all of it. Do they haul it to somewhere, then separate it, reuse metal, grind the wood, bury it? Plus, I imagine there is a lot of items mixed in which makes it toxic. I guess that's what local government does, but does an individual homeowner pay a fee?

I understand flood damage, the homeowner needs to separate items to be collected, but certainly no homeowner can clean up much more than tree damage.

I just want to say how heartbroken I am for the people that are affected by this latest hurricane. I also am heartbroken whenever I read of other parts of our beautiful country when they face fires, tornadoes, mud slides, etc. It seems like everywhere we live, we are hit with something.

@new nickname 4 In my case anyway, they haul it away to the landfill, but I don't know for sure if/what they separate. As far as the cost, they don't charge us per se, but apparently FEMA reimburses our city for the costs. So essentially, all of us pay, one way or another.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

Sooner — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 14:39:17 GMT

Would be nice to give jobs to people who need them along the way.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

Nonametoday — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 14:43:22 GMT

@Sooner wrote:
Would be nice to give jobs to people who need them along the way.

@Sooner

In our area, there are more jobs than people wanting jobs. I think many, post Covid, are still leaning on Uncle for everything including insurance.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

haddon9 — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 14:44:34 GMT

At first it seemed like a silly question but after thinking it over it is a very good question! Where does all of the stuff go?! I can only assume that some can be recycled and toxic things go where they they dispose of tht sort of thing.

I can remember going to visit my mother in south Florida about a month after a major hurricane many years ago that hit her area. You could see from the plane all of the blue tarps covering so many homes. I think it was almost 50/50 of homes that had them covering their roofs.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

SilleeMee — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 14:46:41 GMT

Landfills

Recycling plants

Hazmat management facilities

Charities

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

Nonametoday — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 14:50:14 GMT

The roofer man took my pergola away because he said it was causing the fascial borders to rot along the edges. He charged quite a bit to do that, which my children who live in large cities said was more than they would pay for such a small job, but he took it with him, I notice. He did not take it to the dump, so I guess he is using the wood, as it was treated "yellow" wood.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

Maggie Nolia — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 14:54:18 GMT

Landfills. Almost nothing is salvageable.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

Johnnyeager — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 15:05:34 GMT

I agree that almost everything is landfilled.

You would hope that it is disposed of within EPA regulations in lined landfills, but with the volume involved I doubt it. New landfills were quickly dug after Katrina without the usual reviews and permitting.

Some of the debris can be quite hazardous. Waterlogged gypsum in sheet rock decomposes to a toxic gas.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

sunshine45 — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 15:20:11 GMT

marine debris......some of it ends up in the ocean and other waterways.

some they can recover, some they cannot.

it creates havoc with the ecosystems.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

Katcat1 — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 16:12:32 GMT

i would hope that some of it would be recycled but I doubt it. They probably bring in that machine that can lift tons and place in a truck.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

Greeneyedlady21 — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 16:28:30 GMT

Addressing the actual topic of the thread, I don't know. But it's all very tragic and sad, human suffering.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

millieshops — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 16:33:21 GMT

I've lived in hurricane territory for 60 years now and been through a number of them plus a huge flood once in central PA. Never once did I ever see so much debris as from Ian.

No idea what they do with it - I do know the landfill here in Palm Beach County near me loomed far above me when I took the Turnpike south a few weeks ago. We had minimal damage right around me, so whatever they collect I believe can be added to that pile.

What they do with thousands of homes, trees, cars, trucks, massive buildings not safe to repair - way above my paygrade.

Home insurance in Florida even before the storm was increasing by hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and it's quite likely even the state-run backup company will deplete its millions of assets and the whole state will be charged. I'd have to pull my records, but I sort of remember I paid an extra $300 for even the much smaller storms that hit here in 2004-5.

I already decided I'd rather pay than confront the damage - as if we get any choice!

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

Kachina624 — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 18:40:50 GMT

@deepwaterdotter wrote:
I'm guessing the county landfill.

@deepwaterdotter I doubt any landfill could hold that much trash. Just the dead boat debris is monumental and since they're fiberglass, they'll never deteriorate. I've also wondered what they do with it.

Re: Where does all the debris go after a hurricane?

Johnnyeager — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 18:46:43 GMT

It doesn't all stay in Florida. It's shipped and trucked out.

There are landfills in states welcoming of trash and debris.

Where do you think NYC trash goes? No landfills here.