Debris removal underway in Houston, but could take months

HOUSTON — It could be at least a month before all of the debris from Hurricane Beryl is cleared in Houston, according to the city’s Solid Waste Management Department.

A department official told KHOU 11 that this was due to the “vast magnitude” of damage caused by Hurricane Beryl’s winds.

In some Heights neighborhoods on Monday, piles of debris were visible from house to house.

A longtime resident was relieved when a truck came to collect his pile on Sunday.

“It was really bad,” Dale Barton told us. “We lost four or five big trees. One of them was completely covering the street with its branches, and we moved it to the side, and yesterday a truck picked it all up, hooray!”

When the trees fell, Barton also lost power. He said it was wonderful to finally have it back on Monday.

“It’s miserable living in the dark and the heat,” Barton said.

The City of Houston estimates it will take 30 to 60 days to remove all the storm debris. Three outside contractors have been hired to help with the massive operation.

“We are coming, it might take us a little while,” said Helvia Quinones of Solid Waste.

RELATED: Beryl storm debris cleanup: Updates from Houston, Harris and other nearby counties

She said crews may go through a neighborhood more than once and the first round can take a few weeks. Quinones is asking residents to help make the crews’ cleanup easier.

“Start collecting materials and putting them on the curb. Start separating plant materials from construction and demolition materials,” Quinones said. “And try to avoid parking cars on the streets. The less blockages those vehicles encounter, the better.”

You should not throw debris into ditches, as they help control flooding.

Quinones asks residents to call 3-1-1 to report debris that needs to be picked up.

Harris County Public Health is also reminding residents that cleaning up debris near storm drains can help drain standing water and prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

The city said it would haul the mountains of debris to a site where some of it will be crushed and reused as mulch in city parks or dumped in landfills.