Hurricanes & Debris

Debris

After a disaster, it is critical for residents to sort debris to expedite debris cleanup throughout the community.  Debris can be separated into the following piles:

• Household garbage — bagged regular household trash, discarded food; wood, drywall, carpet, furniture; televisions, radios, computers;
• Household hazardous waste — motor oil, batteries, bug sprays;
• Vegetation debris — tree branches, leaves, logs;
• "White" goods — refrigerators, washers and dryers, air conditioners;
• Orphan containers — butane or propane tanks, chlorine cylinders.

For more information about Unincorporated Seminole County Solid Waste collection, visit seminolecountyfl.gov/solidwaste.

Gated Communities

Each year, the Seminole County Office of Emergency Management notifies homeowners associations that debris removal from private roadways (specifically gated communities) may not be eligible for public assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This means that if a disaster strikes in a community with private roadways, the debris resulting from the disaster might not be removed by a government agency.

As with most policies, there are exemptions to FEMA’s policy on debris removal from private roadways. Should FEMA determine that disaster debris on private roadways is eligible for removal, written permission to enter private roadways must be granted to Seminole County by the legal owner or their legal designee prior to debris removal.

Because Seminole County has many private roadways, we are asking HOA representatives that have the authority to execute the agreements on roadways to grant written permission of entry prior to a disaster occurring. If the individual property owners own the road, then the property owners must grant access prior to debris removal. Establishing a plan now on how you and your community will recover from a disaster should be top priority, and Seminole County is ready to assist.

Please complete a Right of Entry (ROE) Authorization Form and return it to the Office of Emergency Management. The form must be signed by the roadway's legal owner or their legal designee.

Find the Right of Entry (ROE) Authorization Form here or on the PrepareSeminole.org homepage under 'More Information'.

Signing the ROE/HHA form does not guarantee debris removal services; it merely fulfills one portion of FEMA requirements to remove debris from private roadways. Seminole County reserves the right to determine whether disaster debris poses a threat to the overall health and safety of the community and whether to initiate emergency County debris removal.

If you have any questions, please contact our office at (407) 665-5102 or email ROE@seminolecountyfl.gov. We appreciate your participation as Seminole County prepares our residents for disasters and the current hurricane season.