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Highway 288 at Southmore Blvd. on the morning of May 26, 2015. Credit: S. Threatt
Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department is set to begin special roadside collection of debris. That includes broken tree limbs and yard waste, as well as household items damaged in the floods, like wet carpets or broken appliances.
Director Harry Hayes asks that residents separate the debris into categories to speed up collection. He says the process could take several weeks.
“We will begin collection around the southwest part of town which is where some of the heaviest flooding has occurred,” Hayes says.
Seven people are confirmed dead in Harris County. Officials are still assessing property damage and could not yet provide a monetary estimate. So far, the severe weather has cost the county more than $3.6 million in infrastructure damage.
Francisco Sanchez is with Harris County’s Office of Emergency Management. He says crews have already recovered more than 1,400 abandoned vehicles.
“We continue to find, as the bayous recede, vehicles that need to be moved,” Sanchez says. “That process continues. Hopefully we’re at the tail end of that.”
Sanchez says with more rain in the forecast this weekend, there’s a risk of flooding across bayous which are already full of water.
According to the city of Houston, the neighborhood depositories will be open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. until further notice to accept ONLY heavy trash items, storm debris, and recycling. Here’s the locations:
- Northeast – 5565 Kirkpatrick
- Northwest – 14400 Sommermeyer
- North – 9003 North Main
- Southeast – 2240 Central
- South – 5100 Sunbeam
- Southwest – 10785 Southwest Fwy