Tag Archive for: Solid Waste

City’s Beryl Storm-Debris Tracker Shows Cleanup Status by Neighborhood

8/29/24 – The City of Houston Solid Waste Department’s Beryl Storm-Debris Tracker shows that the department has completed the second pass of debris cleanup in virtually all of District E’s north sector. If you still have debris from the storm but don’t yet have it to the curb, you only have one more pass. So hurry. After that, the cost is on you.

About a month ago, the City launched the storm tracker to help residents understand when they can expect help.

Three Passes

The City promised “three passes” of debris pickup. This would give residents a chance to get all their debris to the curb for pickup. Curbs were so crowded during the first pass that not all the debris would fit within reach of the equipment.

Also, there were a limited number of tree service companies to help residents saw up trees and get them to the curb.

Three passes give contractors more time to help residents.

Citywide Status

The Beryl Storm-Debris tracker map below shows the status of cleanup citywide by sectors.

Purple = Second Pass Complete. Blue = Second Pass in Progress. Yellow = First Pass in Progress.

The Storm-Debris Tracker shows no gray areas left. Gray indicated areas that were still waiting for the first pass to begin.

To change between the first and second views shown above in the Storm-Debris Tracker, just zoom in or out.

Storm-Debris Tracker Statistics to Date

The City updates the map and associated statistics nightly at 8 PM. Today were are 34 days from the start of the effort. So far, the City has collected:

  • 50,930 cubic yards of vegetative debris yesterday.
  • 43,930 truckloads of debris to date.
  • 2,139,624 cubic yards of debris to date.

The City estimates the combined impact of this year’s natural disasters in the Houston area to produce more than 4.5 million cubic yards of storm debris.

Prior to the July 4th Independence Holiday, the city successfully removed more than 1.7 million cubic yards of debris generated by the Derecho Storm. (Remember Beryl hit Houston on July 8. And within days, there were debris piles everywhere.)

For a full report on the damage Hurricane Beryl caused across the region (wind, flooding, surge, etc.) see HCFCD’s report on the storm.

Plan for Remainder of Cleanup

Over the next 60-90 days, the City will utilize all its available resources combined with supplemental disaster collection contractors to expedite the debris removal operations in neighborhoods throughout the city.

To view the storm tracker visit: https://houstontx.gov/solidwaste/beryl_strm2024.html.

And remember, you no longer need to contact 3-1-1 to report storm debris. During each pass, crews will go down every street looking for it.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 8/29/24

2557 Days since Hurricane Harvey and 34 since Beryl

Save the Date: Dave Martin’s Farewell Town Hall Meeting Next Tuesday

City of Houston Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin will hold a farewell town hall meeting for District E residents.

Date: Tuesday, October 17th, 2023

Time: 6:30 p.m.

At: Kingwood Community Center

Address: 4102 Rustic Woods Dr. Kingwood, TX 77345

The Houston Police Department (HPD) Kingwood Division will start the program with a brief demonstration of new virtual reality training software, purchased with District E Service Funds. The Police will also provide a brief summary of local crime statistics. Later, HPD Lake Patrol will provide safety tips for Lake Houston.

Other Speakers

Recovery Efforts

Stephen Costello, Chief Resiliency Officer for the City of Houston, will give a comprehensive overview of the recovery efforts undertaken after Hurricane Harvey. This will include updates on the Lake Houston Dam Spillway Improvement Project (floodgates), dredging operations, and the desilting of bridges.

Solid Waste/Recycling

Mark Wilfalk, Director of the Solid Waste Department, will address any concerns regarding trash and recycling collections.

Northpark Overpass Project

Jeff Nielsen, President of the Lake Houston Redevelopment Board/TIRZ 10 board, will share information on the Northpark Drive Overpass Project, and various TIRZ 10 projects. 

Dave Martin on His Years of Service

Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin will provide a wrap up of his years of service and commitment to the residents of District E.

Information Tables for Early Arrivals

There will also be information tables hosted by City of Houston Departments, available for those who arrive early, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

For More Information

For more information, please contact Mayor Pro Tem Martin’s office at (832) 393-3008 or via email at districte@houstontx.gov.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 10/13/23

2236 Days since Hurricane Harvey

City Announces Trash Pickup Schedule for Memorial Day Week

This is off topic, but it does affect thousands of readers, hence I’m posting this release from the City of Houston solid waste department. Please note: If your community association has private trash pickup, your schedule will vary. These dates and times affect only those with City pickup.

Solid Waste Schedule for Memorial Day/Week

Monday, May 25, 2020 (Memorial Day)
CITY HOLIDAY: NO COLLECTION SERVICES. All Facilities and services closed.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Monday’s garbage collected, B-Week Curbside Recycling, Yard Waste and 4th Monday’s & 4th Tuesday’s Tree Waste collected. Westpark Recycling Center and Reuse Warehouse re-open. Neighborhood Depositories remain closed.

Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Tuesday’s garbage collected, B-Week Curbside Recycling, Yard Waste & 4th Wednesday’s Tree Waste collected. Neighborhood Depositories re-open.

Thursday, May 28, 2020
Thursday’s garbage collected, B-Week Curbside Recycling, Yard Waste & 4th Thursday’s Tree Waste collected.

Friday, May 29, 2020
Friday’s garbage collected, B-Week Curbside Recycling & Yard Waste collected.

For more information about solid waste schedules, contact: Jessica Beemer at (832) 393-3008 or email districte@houstontx.gov.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 5/22/2020

997 Days after Hurricane Harvey

Harvey Time Capsule: Marina Drive in Forest Cove

It’s been more than a year since Hurricane Harvey. Much of Houston has improved remarkably since then. But one neighborhood near the San Jacinto West Fork seems frozen in time: Marina Drive in Forest Cove. It’s the land that Solid Waste forgot.

Forest Cove Townhomes destroyed by Harvey and swallowed by sand. Photograph from 9/14/17, two weeks after Harvey. Not much has changed since then. 

Featured in FEMA Video Filmed Last Month

When FEMA came to Houston last month to shoot a video about Harvey, they asked ReduceFlooding.com for location recommendations. They wanted a place that told the story of the storm. It took me about a nanosecond to recommend the apartments/townhomes on Marina Drive.

Forest Cove Townhomes destroyed by Harvey. This and following photos taken a year later on September 28, 2018.

The Forest Cove Property Owners Association has fixed up the community swimming pool. But everything around it still triggers memories of the terror that night in August, 2017, when Harvey dealt the final death blow to these ill-fated townhomes.

Forest Cove Townhomes now targets for vandals, looters and squatters.

Ravaged by Numerous Floods, but Killed by Harvey

The townhomes had been ravaged by previous floods, but Harvey was different. Three residents I talked to told me the water reached 17-23 feet high – well up into the second story. To put that in perspective, joists in the garage level are set at 11 feet.

You can see holes chopped in roofs where thieves stole roof-mounted AC condensers. One building appears to have been swept off its foundation. Bedsheets spray-painted with “FEMA HELP” still flutter from second story balconies. Sand clogs the streets and storm drains. Five foot high dunes cover fences and shoreline. Trash litters the parking lots. Graffiti and mold cover what’s left of the homes. An old oil pumper supports vines. Oil storage tanks sit twisted and lonely, off kilter. Not one person still lives there. The homes are uninhabitable.

Forest Cove Townhome destroyed by Harvey. Area is now a target for graffiti artists. 

More Marina Drive Townhomes destroyed by Harvey. In addition to the trash in the parking lot, note the hole chopped in the roof to rescue people in the middle of the photo.

Reportedly, these properties are being bought out by FEMA and Harris County Flood Control to reduce future flood risk. Some offers have already been made according to Glen Allison, a member of the Homeowners Association. Allison also said that “Three units were swept away. Two more completely collapsed. There was tremendous structural damage throughout.”

Someday the area may be turned into parkland. The county has been trying to buy this land and convert it into a linear park since 1994 – almost 25 years ago. Not much has happened since then. The last section in a document from Harris County Flood Control titled 2018 Federal Briefing: Unprecedented Opportunity discusses progress of various buyout programs going back 29 years.

 

Excerpt from HCFCD map showing historical buyout programs in Forest Cove.

FEMA and HCFCD completed voluntary buyout programs in 1994 (pink), 1998 (blue), 2005 (yellow) and 2008 (lavender).  However, as of this spring, they were still trying to complete buyouts from 2014 and 2016 (see table below, also from 2018 Federal Briefing referenced above).

Forest Cove properties were part of the 2014 and 2016 buyout programs that were still not completed at the time of Harvey and HCFCD’s Federal Briefing last spring.

Maybe this time! Meanwhile, someone please call for a trash pickup.

Posted by Bob Rehak on October 7, 2018

404 Days since Hurricane Harvey