Back-to-back hurricanes caused widespread destruction, leaving unprecedented debris throughout the City of Tampa. Clean-up efforts began immediately, with the Solid Waste Department setting ambitious goals to tackle the challenge. The task is enormous, given the massive amounts of residential and storm debris left behind by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. To address this, the department raised its payment rate, hired more haulers, and expanded its capacity.
Currently, 32 Solid Waste trucks and 23 contracted trucks are actively collecting storm debris across the city. They gather an average of 3,750 cubic yards of storm and residential debris daily—equivalent to 18 football fields. Department leaders estimate the total debris from both hurricanes to reach about 1,000,000 cubic yards, covering an area equal to 10,000 football fields. In comparison, Hurricane Irma in 2017 produced 175,000 cubic yards of debris.
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Helping neighborhoods recover quickly
The city released a map of Tampa that outlines storm debris collection areas. This map, updated daily, keeps the community informed about completed collections and upcoming areas for clean-up. To speed up the process, haulers deliver debris to five different drop-off stations throughout the city, reducing the distance to the McKay Bay Waste-to-Energy Plant, where all waste is burned to generate energy.
Speed and efficiency remain top priorities to help neighborhoods recover quickly. However, the Solid Waste Department faces challenges, including regional competition for hauling services and higher rates. Despite these hurdles, the City of Tampa aims to complete the clean-up within 90 days.
“Just like it takes, on average, homeowners about three weeks to remove all the debris from their flooded homes, removing storm debris from our entire city takes time,” said Mayor Jane Castor. “We want residents to remain assured we are stretching our current resources and working through the challenges in order to clean up our communities as quickly as they deserve. Though patience is wearing thin and everyone wants the debris out of sight, we will get through this soon.”
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Where residents can bring their debris
The City of Tampa’s two authorized debris collection contractors continue to hire subcontractors. Interested companies can reach out to Ashbritt at lcosta@ashbritt.com or Phillips and Jordan Environmental at bsmallwood@pandjenv.com.
Residents who want faster debris removal can take their debris to the McKay Bay Transfer Station at 114 S 34th Street, free of charge. Privately-hired companies pay $95 per ton.
The city reminds residents not to bag storm debris. Instead, they should leave it in a pile next to the roadway.
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