Debris removal in Savannah could go well into next year

ATLANTA (AP) Southeast Georgia residents are still feeling the effects of Hurricane Matthew of debris removal that may last well into next year.

City officials in Savannah are asking residents to remain patient as an estimated $5.7 million clean-up process continues, the Savannah Morning News (http://bit.ly/2flTpvT) reported. The storm left a pattern of destruction in the state last month.

A recent staff report on recovery efforts says almost 70,000 of an estimated 408,000 cubic yards of debris had been collected. The collection crews are looking to clear the areas with highest concentration of debris first, moving to the remaining neighborhoods and repeating the process three times.

City crews are hauling away bagged yard waste during regular weekly routes.

Residents can also take storm debris to the Dean Forest landfill or the Bacon Park Transfer Station.

Sanitation Bureau Chief Gene Prevatt said the size of the tree carnage equates to a football field three or four miles tall. He said storm debris removal could be completed by the end of February, but neighborhoods can expect to be visited at least once by the end of the year.

``Our debris contractors are here to do the heavy lifting of what fell from the storm,'' he said. ``They are not a lawn service and they are not greenskeepers.''

Mayor Eddie DeLoach said residents can also do their part.

``If you see something you're not satisfied with, get outside and rake it up,'' DeLoach said. ``Put it in a pile or put it in a bag and we'll get it the next time by.''

Ceres Environmental Services has been contracted to remove the debris at $15.12 per cubic yard and the estimated cost of the clean-up effort is almost $5.7 million.

The city has also launched an online site, Savannah.recovers.org, which is designed to link people in need of assistance related to the storm and area service providers.