Getting rid of garbage & debris

TAMPA - After a hurricane, debris is everywhere. Basically, there are three different types of trash, and each should be dealt with in a different manner, and kept separate:

Household garbage and bad food

After the storm, the number one priority is household garbage.  Freezers will go out, and food decays and rots.  For health and safety reasons, that kind of garbage will be collected first.  Get your garbage and thrown away food in bags or cans, and place them where you normally bring garbage for collection, usually the roadside.

Yard waste and fallen tree branches

Vegetative waste, tree limbs, stumps and other yard debris should be stacked separately from everything else.  Keep the pile close to the road, but away from any overhead obstacles like power lines.  It may take a couple of weeks for collection.

Building damage

If you have any building debris from a destroyed shed, crumpled pool or patio enclosure, fallen roof tiles, or any other sort of construction or building damage, these will be collected last.  Put this at the roadside as well, but DO NOT MIX the construction debris with your yard waste.