Following multiple Mid-South storms, a special effort to collect yard debris around Shelby County has been announced by the Shelby County Roads, Bridges and Engineering Department.
The department has slated July 24 as when they will pick up branches and debris from residential properties in unincorporated areas of Shelby County. This will continue until Oct. 26, they said.
Pick up requests can be submitted to the Shelby County Roads, Bridges and Engineering Department at (901) 222 7705.
Lee Harris declared a local state of emergency "as resources were mobilized to help residents clean up neighborhoods," the department said.
"Last month’s windstorm left many Shelby County residents without power and burdened them with downed trees and limbs," Harris said. "Even with the power back on, the damage left behind will take months for residents to manage. We are mobilizing resources to assist them and clean up our neighborhoods."
Officials within the department ask for patience as they say it will take work crews several months to collect "all eligible debris." For example, the maximum allowable length of tree limbs for pick up is said to be eight feet.
Household waste, it is also said by the department, cannot be mixed with the tree debris. Residents will need to bring debris to the curb and place it in an area that does not block traffic, according to the department. If residents hired a contractor, the contractor would need to clean tree debris as part of their services, they said. County crews will not be able to remove tree debris left by contractors, according to the department.
“Clean up from a windstorm like we saw is a daunting task and often impossible for some homeowners to do without outside help," Administrator of Shelby County Roads, Bridges and Engineering Department Darren Sanders said. "With this kind of devastation, government resources are able to assist, but please be patient with our crews. They will be working for many months to make sure every resident in need of assistance receives it.”
Brenda Jones is the Director of Shelby County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency.
“Immediately following last month’s windstorm, Shelby County crews were dispatched to clean up debris from roads, distribute water and grocery assistance, and open cooling centers as those without power faced rising temperatures," Jones said. "During a disaster declaration, the work to assist residents continues long after the power is turned back on. We will all continue working together to make sure residents can get back to their normal lives.”
