Lee County's hurricane season runs June 1 - November 30
Prior preparation can minimize the impact of storm damage to your property and reduce the amount of vegetative debris left behind.
Pre-Hurricane Yard Maintenance - perform anytime March, April, May- Cut back any trees or branches that contact your house, pool cage, shed or other buildings
- Thin foliage so wind can blow freely through branches, decreasing chances the plant will become uprooted during a storm.
- Place
trimmings at the curb on your regular collection day.
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Once a storm has been named or a hurricane watch/warning has been issued:
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Do not cut down trees or do any major yard work. Mass cutting produces a burden on the normal collection process.
- Do not begin construction projects that produce debris unless absolutely necessary to protect life and property.
- Clear your property of any items that could become a projectile during a storm and place them at the curb on your regular waste collection day.
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Collections After the Declared Storm Event:
Residents:
Debris must be placed in the right of way for collection - collection crews will not enter your private property to remove debris.
Please set out debris in separate piles as indicated in the diagram below. DO NOT BAG YOUR STORM DEBRIS. You can click on the image for a printable copy. This diagram is also available in
Spanish and
Creole.
Make sure that each pile is clear of any electrical lines, water meters, mailboxes and fire hydrants.
Keep any hazardous waste separate, and contact Solid Waste at 239-533-8000 for disposal options.
Clean-Up Dates: After a hurricane, listen to local media for updates. Lee County will issue press releases and post clean-up dates on the County's website, social media outlets, and/or advertise in the local newspaper.
Ensure that all material is at the curb for pick up at the time of the announced date. Clean-up crews will proceed from street to street and collect only debris placed at the curb. Emergency access roadways will be cleared first.
Remember, in a severe storm, the entire county could be covered with debris. Please have patience. Resident safety is the No.1 priority which means getting household garbage off the street. Storm debris collection will immediately follow.
Businesses:
Businesses are required to make their own arrangements for debris clean up.
Gated communities:
FEMA regulations require that private or gated communities have a current Right of Entry and Indemnification form on file with Lee County before any disaster debris recovery crews are allowed to enter the community.
Lee County has an easy, online process for professional property managers and residential homeowners’ association (HOA) presidents to submit the necessary paperwork. Forms are available on the ROE Communities page for communities located within unincorporated Lee County.
Filling out the form is quick, easy and only has to be done once a year. Lee County encourages all HOAs to take time to complete the form prior to the start of hurricane season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: During disaster clean-up, are my regular garbage and recyclable schedules affected?
A: No, your collection days will remain the same. Collection of garbage is the highest priority because of health concerns associated with rotting food. Regular garbage collections begin as soon as it is safe to do so and roadways are clear. There may be a delay before recycling collections resume depending on the severity of the storm and the amount of storm debris.
Q: What is the schedule for debris removal?
A: The County contracts with specialized vendors for the collection of storm debris. There will be regular announcements on local media and the county website to announce collection crew schedules.
Q: A hauler came and picked up part of my debris. Will they come back?
A: It is not unusual that a truck may pick up some of your debris but not all of it on a particular sweep. Trucks will come back later to pick up the remaining debris if placed at the curb prior to the announced final dates of debris clean up.