Flagler County residents asked to quickly put storm debris by roadway

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – Flagler County officials are asking residents in unincorporated areas to put their storm-generated debris by the roadway as quickly as possible.

“Debris should be placed where you normally put your garbage for collection,” Flagler County administrator Craig Coffey said. “We have been working diligently to have the debris picked up as quickly as possible.”

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Several gated communities with private roadways have given Flagler County authorization to pick up debris for their residents. Those homeowners associations include Beach Haven, Bulow Plantation, Dixie Commons, Eagle Rock Ranch, Flagler Beach Polo Club, Flagler Beach Polo Club West, Island Estates, Plantation Bay, Sea Colony, Shelter Cove, Sunset Inlet, Surfside Estates and West Lake at Plantation Bay.

Representatives from other private communities are encouraged to call the Flagler County Administrative Offices at 386-313-4093 for an authorization agreement.

“We want to help all of our residents, so we continue to work on these agreements,” Coffey said. “The goal is to pick up debris in those areas by the time we complete our first sweep.”

Keep vegetative and burnable debris such as tree limbs and shrubbery separated from construction and demolition debris, as the two categories will be collected separately. Bagged debris should not be placed in the right-of-way; only loose debris will be collected.

Hazardous waste should be brought to Flagler County’s household hazardous waste collection center and recycle drop-off center at the closed C & D Facility, 1700 South Old Kings Road. Hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. This service is provided free of charge to Flagler County residents.

Hazardous waste accepted at the landfill includes used motor oil, antifreeze, lead-acid and rechargeable batteries, paints, thinners and solvents, pool chemicals, fluorescent light bulbs and gasoline.

Do not place debris near water meter vaults, fire hydrants or any other above-ground utility.

Flagler emergency management: Follow recommended Hurricane Matthew recovery tips

Flagler County Emergency Management is urging residents to follow the Hurricane Matthew recovery tips provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

 

“We are recommending that Flagler County residents follow the recovery tips that have been provided by FEMA,” Flagler County public safety emergency manager Steve Garten said. “They are the experts and the ones who have to sort through the mountain of paperwork, so it makes sense to follow the guidelines they have provided.”

 

FEMA’s Hurricane Matthew recovery tips:

  • If you haven’t already done so, notify your insurance agent of any damages sustained to your home or business as a result of Hurricane Matthew.
  • Take photos of any floodwater and damaged items in your home and keep repair receipts.
  • File an insurance claim with your insurance agent.
  • Make sure any contractors hired are licensed and carry general liability insurance and workers’ compensation and are bonded.
  • FEMA does not recommend or endorse any contractors.
  • Anyone who suspects fraud should call FEMA’s Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or the Florida Attorney General’s fraud and price-gouging hotline at 866-966-7226.

Although a federal declaration has yet to be made to qualify Flagler County for individual assistance, residents can preregister at www.disasterassistance.gov.

Filling out the “address look-up” currently provides the message: “No disasters declared for individual assistance were found for this address.” Despite that message, residents can still apply for assistance. The system will let you proceed if early registration is open for your state or county. Your application will proceed if your county is added to an active declaration.

A FEMA helpline is available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week. Call 1-800-621-3362. Call 1-800-462-7585 for TTY.

Click here for the Flagler County virtual help center. 

526 truckloads of storm debris in Palm Coast so far; collection continuing

Debris removal in Palm Coast is continuing seven days a week, with good progress, but the process is expected to take several more weeks for completion, officials said.  

The city is asking for residents’ assistance in making the cleanup go smoothly and also for patience as the process continues.

As of Sunday, 526 truckloads of loose vegetative debris, construction and demolition materials had been removed from alongside public streets, and Waste Pro collected bagged debris from all but two neighborhoods in Palm Coast. Those two neighborhoods will be the next priority for bagged debris pickup, officials said. 

All parks and trails are now open with the exception of Graham Swamp Trail and Palm Harbor Golf Club course, both of which had a large number of fallen trees. In the meantime, the driving range, practice areas, clubhouse and Canfield’s Restaurant are open at Palm Harbor Golf.

There are numerous damaged trees  that are still standing. Some were and some still are leaning toward a home or other structures. City crews are removing the trees that are on city property as quickly as possible when they are brought to the city's attention. The city is working with a tree removal contractor to remove hazardous trees on private property, with the property owner billed for that cost.

To report a hazardous tree issue, call Palm Coast Customer Service at 386-986-2360.

For more information, contact communications and marketing director Cindi Lane at 386-986-3708.

Use alternate numbers for Social Services offices

Flagler County's Social Services phone lines took a hit during Hurricane Matthew and are still inoperable as of Monday afternoon, officials said. 

Those wishing to contact the department about Human Services, Senior Services or Adult Day Care should call either 386-437-7228 or 386-586-5183.

“We know this is an inconvenience, and we appreciate your patience,” Social Services Director Joe Mayer said. “Hopefully it won’t be too long until our regular service is restored.

The Social Services Department is located at 1000 Belle Terre Blvd., Palm Coast. Its regular hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.