Local News

Hurricane Harvey Debris Removal Nearing Its End in Texas

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Having worked for months to clear up debris and garbage left behind as a result of Hurricane Harvey, the residents of Houston are finally beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Texas was hit hard by the storm in August of this year, which has been listed on record as being the costliest of its kind in history. Close to $200 billion in damages and 90 deaths in the U.S. resulted in its wake.

Hurricane Harvey Debris Removal Nearing its End in Texas

Photo: Wikimedia

NBC 5 reported that local cities and counties have worked with the state’s transportation department together with contractors in efforts to have all of the massive amounts of trash left behind from natural flooding as well as household damages hauled away over the last three months.

A number of jurisdictions have identified a plan to complete debris removal by Christmas, with Harris County officials having aimed for Thanksgiving, however, meeting a stumbling block in the actual amount of debris that was anticipated. Their third and final pass through their neighborhoods produced more than they had expected. In total, to date, crews have hauled over 1 million cubic yards of debris and garbage, which equals approximately 26,000 truckloads.

The costliest hurricane on record, Hurricane Harvey caused widespread flooding in the City of Houston and surrounding areas, breaking all prior records set by Hurricane Katrina. It also ended a 12-year record for which no hurricanes made landfall in the U.S. at such intensity. Over a four-day span, parts of Texas received over 40 inches of rain while the storm system hovered over the eastern part of the state. In short, Harvey was the most damaging tropical storm on record in America, flooding hundreds of thousands of homes, and prompting the need for over 17,000 rescues.