Alabama Spring Storm Cleanup Nearly Finished
Almost 95 percent of the estimated 10 million cubic yards of debris had been cleared by Sept. 1.
FEMA announced Sept. 1 that the job of cleaning up and disposing of "mountains of debris" left by April 2011 storms in Alabama communities is almost done. "Through teamwork and persistence," debris removal has been completed in 133 communities, the agency reported.
Almost 95 percent of the estimated 10 million cubic yards of debris had been cleared by Sept. 1. "Targeted cleanup is taking place in a few counties," State Coordinating Officer Jeff Byard, with the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, said in the FEMA news release. "There are still some isolated areas in the state where a final sweep is needed before all our attention becomes focused on rebuilding and recovering."
FEMA said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has removed almost 5.1 million cubic yards of debris, including more than 701,000 cubic yards from private property, and almost 4.4 million cubic yards from rights of way. Contractors and jurisdictions using their own workforces reported they have removed more than 4.4 million cubic yards of debris. "Clearing this much debris, after the biggest disaster on record in Alabama, is the result of the whole community -- survivors, volunteers, businesses, local, state and federal partners -- working together as a team," said Federal Coordinating Officer Joe M. Girot of FEMA. "This brings Alabama one step closer to rebuilding safer, stronger, and more resilient."