JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — While Jacksonville residents prepare for incoming Hurricane Milton, some are still left with yard debris after the last storm, Hurricane Helene.
Driving through Jacksonville's Riverside you’ll see piles of yard debris still waiting to be collected. A pile of yard debris has been sitting outside of Sandra Pauley’s house since Hurricane Helene.
“It’s still there and we’re expecting a storm and it’s going to just run down the street into the sewer into the river," Pauley said.
And now she’s worried that leaving the piles out could worsen the next hurricane's impacts.
“That’s a big problem, the sewers get clogged and then the streets flood, that is one of the big problems," Pauley said.
In a statement city leaders say yard debris is being collected but are behind schedule and have brought in extra crews to help. They say yard debris collection is being prioritized in neighborhoods with the highest wind threat prioritized first.
In a statement, city leaders asked homeowners not to place any new storm debris on the curb at this time.
If you already have storm debris waiting for pick up make sure it follows the yard waste disposal standards. It should be five cubic yards — roughly 32-gallon garbage bags, no single container or item can weigh more than 40 pounds, tree limbs and logs must be no more than six inches in diameter and bags must be sealed closed.
Another homeowner with debris outside her Airbnb said she cleaned up to help out those coming from South Florida.
“I have people calling and they can’t get a hotel room because everything is booked," Tina Boone, Airbnb owner, said. “I have four Airbnbs to clean today to get them ready for people that are traveling up from South Florida and need a place to stay.”
Homeowners are urged to refrain from putting out new yard waste and be patient as crews work to collect what is already outside.