Debris pick up following Hurricane Michael up is underway. Tallahassee City Manager Reese Goad says the size limit for debris piles will be waived while clean-up efforts are ongoing.
“ So I would encourage folks who can to go ahead and enjoy the weather go outside and clean their yards and put it by the curb. Don’t worry about the normal limits because we’re going to pick everything up,” Goad says.
Officials are asking residents to keep yard waste piles separate from household waste and appliances. Goad says the city has contracted with clean-up crews to help. As of Sunday, crews had hauled away 245 tons of debris.
Meanwhile, health officials are urging residents to use caution while cleaning up debris. Chad Abrams is the Leon County Chief of Emergency Medical Services. He says residents should be careful around unfamiliar power tools like chainsaws.
“And in addition to that we want to make sure that people think about staying hydrated. They’re doing a little bit more than what they should do in some cases and some people have medical conditions that could make it worse,” Abrams says.
Abrams says some injuries have been reported stemming from people who are trying to burn their debris. He discourages the practice. Burn bans are in place in some panhandle counties including Gulf and Franklin.
