WHITEVILLE – State contract crews are wrapping up the collection of debris created by Hurricane Florence in Bladen and Columbus counties.
People with storm debris needed to have set the material along the road by the week of Nov. 26, the N.C. Department of Transportation announced last month. Since the deadline has passed, crews cannot go back to areas already covered to collect newly placed piles of debris.
In the hardest-hit areas, the contractors have accommodated residents by returning to collect additional storm debris, but the crews are under a contract to finish by next month and are not able to revisit all areas previously swept of debris. The department maintains more than 900 miles of roadway in Bladen County and more than 1,300 miles in Columbus County.
Most of the towns in Bladen and Columbus counties are collecting their own storm debris, even on state-maintained roads, within their municipal boundaries. The exceptions are East Arcadia, Sandyfield, Bolton and Boardman.
Here are some reminders:
- Tree limbs and other vegetative debris should be separated from construction and demolition-related material leftover from the September storm.
- Do not place debris on the pavement or in the bottom of the ditch.
- The contractor will not cross onto private property to collect debris.
- When placing debris along the roadside, please note the location of power lines or overhanging trees that would prevent the contractor from reaching the debris; the boom trucks, which use a hydraulic crane, cannot operate under power lines or under low-hanging trees.