Hurricane Milton & Hurricane Helene Debris

Remember, all work done to repair a structure requires a permit from our Department of Community Development (email; FIRMinfo@leegov.com)

The first pass to pick up debris is ongoing and covered areas of unincorporated Lee County, including North Fort Myers, the Greater Pine Island-Matlacha area and areas along the Caloosahatchee to Olga.

HURRICANE DEBRIS CLEANUP:

Most Important – Please set storm debris at the curb away from your normal weekly garbage service; it will be collected and documented separately.

Storm debris is collected seperately from household garbage.

Debris must be placed in the right of way for collection - collection crews will not enter your private property to remove debris.

Crews ask that you separate materials into different piles: normal household trash, vegetation, construction and demolition, appliances and electronics.

Do not place storm debris into bags. This is a strict FEMA regulation. Following it will ensure the county can be reimbursed for debris removal, which saves local taxpayer dollars.

Please do not place material next to mailboxes, power poles, or fire hydrants.

Be patient. The county will conduct multiple passes until all debris is collected.

Do not set hazardous waste at the curb. All household hazardous waste can be delivered to the County’s Household Chemical Waste facility located at 6441 Topaz Ct. Fort Myers, 33966, free at no cost to all Lee County residents.

Food must be removed from any appliance set at the curb. Inedible food should be placed in the garbage with your weekly regular garbage collection.  

For a more extensive list of where items go, download the Recycle Coach app. To find out more, go to www.solidwaste.com/recyclecoach 

Please note that condominiums, apartments complexes and trailer parks are considered commercial property and will only receive one pass for debris collection in unincorporated Lee County. County officials, in partnership with the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), recently received a waiver from FEMA that allows the county’s hauler to complete one pass for commercial debris placed at the right of way. Commercial collection has begun and may take up to several weeks to complete. Any additional debris placed in front of condominiums, apartments and trailer parks after the county’s hauler completes its single collection will not be picked up by the county. All gated communities must have a Right of Entry (ROE) and Indemnification form filed with the county to allow the county’s contractor to access their gated property.


Matlacha / Pine Island


Lee County Government wants to ensure Matlacha-Pine Island residents know that multiple passes will be made to collect hurricane storm debris – both demolition and horticultural.

The county understands that not all residents are able to put out all their storm debris immediately due to factors such as waiting for insurance adjustors or having time off work to do so. The county recognizes there is a sizable seasonal resident population that may still be returning to assess damage. The county is committed to continuing collections in the Greater Pine Island area to remove storm debris. There are debris-collection crews dedicated specifically to Matlacha-Pine Island. This operation is working seven days a week and will continue until all debris has been collected. Along with these dedicated resources, Lee County Solid Waste continues regular garbage collection and recycling.


Sand Collection on Estero Boulevard and Hickory Boulevard

Lee County will be conducting a final pass of sand collection on Estero Boulevard and Hickory Boulevard beginning on Nov. 18. Starting today, residents are asked to place all remaining sand along the right of way to be removed by contracted vendors. 

The final day for residents to place sand out for collection is at 5 p.m. Nov. 17. With the county’s timeline, this gives residents two full weekends to prepare and push their sand to the right of way. 

If you live in an area where sand is being collected, be sure to place sand correctly to ensure crews can expedite pickup:

• Place sand along the right-of-way.

• Do not place sand on top of the curb or in the roadway.

• Separate sand away from other debris piles.

After the final pass of sand collection is complete, the county will continue to clean debris from Estero Boulevard and Hickory Boulevard.

Captiva Sand Collection

Captiva residents are asked to set all Hurricane Milton sand debris curbside by Friday, Nov.22. Collections will begin on Saturday, Nov. 23 and may take several days to complete. 

SANDBAG DISPOSAL:

Residents who picked up sand and sandbags from their local fire department in anticipation of Hurricane Milton are asked to save the sandbags for reuse, use them around their home, or properly dispose of them.

Sandbag do’s:

  • Sand from bags that were not soiled by stormwater can be emptied in your  yard, flowerbeds and planters as a soil supplement.
  • Consider keeping sandbags for reuse. Hurricane season doesn’t end until Nov. 30. Store them filled if you have space. Or empty the clean sand and  store the bags in a dry location away from direct sunlight. 
  • Place empty bags (but not sand) in your trash can if you don’t plan to reuse them. 
  • Sand or sandbags that cannot be reused can be taken to any of the four Lee County self-haul public debris drop-off sites:
    • 5031 Pine Island Road, Bokeelia, FL 33922
    • 50 South Road, Fort Myers, FL 33907
    • 18078 Cypress Point Road, San Carlos Park, FL 33967
    • 13801 Orange River Blvd., Buckingham, FL 33905

Sandbag don’ts:

  • Don’t take sandbags back to the fire station – either reuse clean sandbags or discard soiled sandbags properly.
  • Don’t place empty sandbags in the recycle bin.
  • Don’t dump sand from bags onto the beach.
    • The sand is different than beach sand. This can cause issues for wildlife.
  • Don’t dump sand from bags on outdoor sand volleyball pits in county parks.
  • Don’t dispose of any sand or full sandbags in regular trash or yard waste collection.
    • The sand will not burn in trash incinerators and can damage equipment.
  • Don’t burn sandbags in outdoor fire pits.
  • Don’t dump your sandbags on private property or any unauthorized location.
    • This is considered illegal dumping. Anyone found illegally dumping may be fined. 

PUBLIC DROP OFF SITES:

Residents who have the ability and desire to self-haul Hurricane Milton debris while waiting for roadside pickup can use public drop-off sites. These sites are both for vegetative and construction and demolition debris.

Be prepared to show identification and be a resident of unincorporated Lee County. Accepted forms of ID include driver’s license, utility bill, rental or lease agreement, or local business license. You will be asked to complete a waiver confirming the debris came from your property. Waivers can be found here, or you can receive a form on site.

For residents: Only storm debris will be accepted, and you must be prepared to unload your trucks yourself. Citizens may only drop off materials during operating hours. Anything outside of those hours is considered illegal dumping. No more than 5 cubic yards of debris may be dropped off at a time.

Hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

• 5031 Pine Island Road, Bokeelia, FL 33922

For businesses: Lee County commercial businesses are encouraged to take their storm debris to the Waste-to-Energy Facility, 10500 Buckingham Road, and will be charged by weight. It will be open regular hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.


For landscaping companies: Landscaping companies hauling vegetative storm debris cleared from residential properties will need a signed declaration from the resident indicating the address where the debris was generated. No debris will be accepted without a signed declaration.

PRIVATE & GATED COMMUNITIES:

FEMA regulations require that private or gated communities have a current Right of Entry and Indemnification form on file with Lee County before any disaster debris recovery crews are allowed to enter the community. Lee County has an easy online process for submitting the necessary paperwork.

Forms are available for communities located within unincorporated Lee County. If you are unsure if your community has a current Right of Entry form on file, please have your community association manager or homeowners association president call 239-533-8000.

What do residents of gated communities need to do?

  • Get debris to the curb for collection crews
  • Do not collect and consolidate debris in common areas; it may not be eligible for collection unless it remains in front of your home.
  • Keep separate piles for yard debris, construction and demolition debris including furniture, appliances and electronics.
  • Do not place bagged yard waste in your debris piles.
  • It’s important to know that the contractor will not collect mixed piles and black-bagged debris.
  • Be patient

Remember, all work done to repair a structure requires a permit from our Department of Community Development (email: FIRMinfo@leegov.com).

RESIDENTIAL COLLECTIONS:

  • Residential garbage collection, recycling and yard waste collection has resumed.

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