JACKSONVILLE, Fla — It’s hurricane season. You’re at a disadvantage when a storm hits if leaves, trash, and debris are strewn across your neighborhood.
Recently, we've noticed more trash in the streets which can clog these systems and make flooding worse especially in flood prone areas.
Rick Wilder has been conducting a study, as he calls it, for 13 years.
“Anybody that has hit a ball over the park in Drew field and you wonder where it went, and wanted to save it, your home run… come see me," Wilder said next to a garbage bag full of soft balls. "I may have it in this bag. In the last 13 years I’ve been doing this, this is just partial of what I’ve got. I’ve given away this many balls.”
It’s no game though.
“I can note when Tim says it is going to rain heavy, I know in a couple of days later I’m cleaning up garbage," said Wilder.
He lives on Pottsburg Creek and has for about 30 years. It's his happy place, but there is a lot of work to be done.
“My neighbor over here owns this property and we walk down to the creek and he looked at it and saw all this garbage floating this and that," Wilder said. "He looked at it and said somebody ought to do something about it. I said, you know what? I can do this.”
About once a month, he goes on the creek and picks up garbage. Garbage that originates in storm water drains and litter in roadways.
A City of Jacksonville spokesperson says their Public Works department focuses on areas where there is potential for blockages and they clear drains year round, but it’s also up to you to keep water flowing when it storms.
Trash and yard debris can not only pollute the waterways, but they clog the system making it easier for the city to flood.
“It’s all coming from storm sewers," Wilder said. "Kind people who don’t have enough consideration to throw their garbage away throw it out the windows and there it goes.”
Jacksonville has 1,000 miles of miles of ditches across the city in addition to storm water ponds, curbs, inlets, and culverts to help drain the water when it rains or floods.
If you see yours is clogged, call 630-CITY for maintenance crews to come out and fix.