Central Florida residents still struggle with Hurricane Milton debris as another tropical system looms

Published  November 13, 2024 7:58pm EST
Associated Press
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Residents struggle with Hurricane Milton debris

With a new tropical system potentially threatening Florida in the coming days, the area still bears the scars from Hurricane Milton, with streets lined with debris more than a month after the storm swept through.

WINTER PARK, Fla. - With a new tropical system potentially threatening Florida in the coming days, the area still bears the scars from Hurricane Milton, with streets lined with debris more than a month after the storm swept through.

In Winter Park, piles of broken branches and logs litter neighborhoods like Kingswood Manor, where residents worry that leftover debris could become dangerous projectiles in the next storm. Homeowners, frustrated and concerned, are urging city officials to clear the streets before another round of severe weather strikes.

Michael Stevens, a Winter Park resident, has had a mound of debris sitting in his yard since the hurricane hit. 

"We've been trying to take what we can and put it in the waste bin," he said. But for Stevens, a cancer patient, the physical toll of clearing debris is daunting. "I am a cancer patient and the only help I can get is to pay somebody to do yard work for me," he explained.

Stevens is not alone. Across Orange County, many residents are dealing with similar remnants of the storm. For some, it’s a nuisance they’ve taken on themselves, but for others like Stevens, removing the debris isn’t an easy or affordable option. 

"I just want to get rid of it because the treatments make me pretty weak, and I have to pay somebody to do it, so that is costing me more money," he said.

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City of Orlando officials say they’re working around the clock to address the debris, with crews and contractors operating seven days a week. Still, residents may only see part of their debris collected at a time, the city explained.

For now, Stevens and others are left with a choice: wait for municipal help or pay for private removal. 

"I remember with [Hurricane] Ian, we had a lot of stuff down, and I don’t remember it taking this long," Stevens said, comparing this cleanup to a previous storm.

With another storm system on the horizon, the city advises residents to secure any remaining debris themselves or take it off the curb if collection hasn’t yet reached them.

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