Residents Can Clean Storm Debris from their Property

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico- Residents with storm debris piles don’t have to wait for a FEMA inspection before cleaning up their property.

However, it is important to document your damages by taking photos or videos. Residents can move debris from their private property to public rights-of-way for pick up and removal by local governments for a limited time.

Debris removal from private property is generally the responsibility of the property owner.  If trees and other debris have fallen on your private property, it is important to check with your insurance agent to determine if tree damage is covered by your policy.

It is important to remember that debris piles can be dangerous, so residents should take extreme caution when cleaning and removing debris from their property. Also, don’t let children play on a debris pile.

When placing hurricane- related debris along the curb for collection you should separate into six categories:

• Electronics, such as televisions, computers or phones.
• Large appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves or dishwashers.  Be sure to seal or secure the doors so that they are not accessible.
• Hazardous waste, such as oil, batteries, pesticides, paint or cleaning supplies.
• Vegetative debris, such as tree branches, leaves or plants.
• Household garbage, such as  discarded food, paper or boxes will be taken care of in the normal method used in your municipality and should not be combined with hurricane debris.
• Construction debris such as building materials, carpeting, furniture and mattresses.

Remember to place debris away from trees, poles or structures including fire hydrants and meters. Remove all water-damaged materials from your home and place curbside for pickup. Debris and trash bags should not block the roadway.

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Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362 (voice, 711/VRS - Video Relay Service.) Multilingual operators are available. (Press 2 for Spanish). TTY call 800 -462-7585

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