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FEMA OKs additional $51.4M reimbursement for Hurricane Ian debris removal in Lee County

WGCU | By WGCU Staff
Published February 5, 2024 at 2:18 PM EST
Debris collection truck along a Lee County roadway
Lee County
/
Special to WGCU
Debris collection truck along a Lee County roadway

There's an additional $51,415,078 in grant funding coming to Lee County from FEMA for debris removal expenses after Hurricane Ian.

The storm left extensive debris, resulting in a threat to public health and safety. Approximately 2,040,625 cubic yards of vegetative debris, 1,252,193 cubic yards of hurricane-generated debris, and 217 tons of hazardous materials were removed from roads and public property in the county. Previously, FEMA had awarded $16,853,000 for these costs.

A county official said Lee County is in the process of receiving the funds.

Several million cubic yards of debris have been collected in the areas wracked by Hurricane Ian. The contracts linked to the collection of that debris have been causing some friction among contractors.
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Several million cubic yards of debris have been collected in the areas wracked by Hurricane Ian. The contracts linked to the collection of that debris have been causing some friction among contractors.
Mike Braun / WGCU
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A growing pile of debris produced by Hurricane Ian sits on land across from Coconut Point Mall in south Lee County. The site is a FEMA-certified debris collection point and not open to residents or businesses. There are other debris drop-off sites in several Southwest Florida counties hit by Ian.
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A growing pile of debris produced by Hurricane Ian sits on land across from Coconut Point Mall in south Lee County. The site is a FEMA-certified debris collection point and not open to residents or businesses. There are other debris drop-off sites in several Southwest Florida counties hit by Ian.
Mike Braun / WGCU
Piles of Hurricane Ian debris form mountains at a debris-management site along U.S. 41 in south Lee County.
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Piles of Hurricane Ian debris form mountains at a debris-management site along U.S. 41 in south Lee County.
Mike Braun / WGCU
A row of damaged and destroyed appliances of Hurricane Ian debris forms a line at a debris-management site along U.S. 41 in south Lee County.
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A row of damaged and destroyed appliances of Hurricane Ian debris forms a line at a debris-management site along U.S. 41 in south Lee County.
Mike Braun / WGCU
Some of the 1.7 million cubic feet of Hurricane Ian debris has been deposited at a FEMA dump by CrowderGulf Disaster Recovery & Debris Management just off U.S. 41 in Estero. There are other debris dump sites as well on Sanibel Island and in various other areas.
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Some of the 1.7 million cubic feet of Hurricane Ian debris has been deposited at a FEMA dump by CrowderGulf Disaster Recovery & Debris Management just off U.S. 41 in Estero. There are other debris dump sites as well on Sanibel Island and in various other areas.
Mike Braun / WGCU
Some of the 1.7 million cubic feet of Hurricane Ian debris has been deposited at a FEMA dump by CrowderGulf Disaster Recovery & Debris Management. There are other debris dump sites as well on Sanibel Island and in various other areas.
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Some of the 1.7 million cubic feet of Hurricane Ian debris has been deposited at a FEMA dump by CrowderGulf Disaster Recovery & Debris Management. There are other debris dump sites as well on Sanibel Island and in various other areas.
Mike Braun / WGCU
Some of the 1.7 million cubic feet of Hurricane Ian debris has been deposited at a FEMA dump by CrowderGulf Disaster Recovery & Debris Management just off U.S. 41 in Estero. There are other debris dump sites as well on Sanibel Island and in various other areas.
8 of 21  — IMG-5700.JPG
Some of the 1.7 million cubic feet of Hurricane Ian debris has been deposited at a FEMA dump by CrowderGulf Disaster Recovery & Debris Management just off U.S. 41 in Estero. There are other debris dump sites as well on Sanibel Island and in various other areas.
Mike Braun / WGCU
Some of the 1.7 million cubic feet of Hurricane Ian debris has been deposited at a FEMA dump by CrowderGulf Disaster Recovery & Debris Management. There are other debris dump sites as well on Sanibel Island and in various other areas.
9 of 21  — IMG-5693.JPG
Some of the 1.7 million cubic feet of Hurricane Ian debris has been deposited at a FEMA dump by CrowderGulf Disaster Recovery & Debris Management. There are other debris dump sites as well on Sanibel Island and in various other areas.
Mike Braun / WGCU
Agricultural and residential debris is part of the some of the 1.7 million cubic feet of Hurricane Ian debris that has been deposited at a FEMA dump by CrowderGulf Disaster Recovery & Debris Management. There are other debris dump sites as well on Sanibel Island and in various other areas.
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Agricultural and residential debris is part of the some of the 1.7 million cubic feet of Hurricane Ian debris that has been deposited at a FEMA dump by CrowderGulf Disaster Recovery & Debris Management. There are other debris dump sites as well on Sanibel Island and in various other areas.
Agricultural and residential debris is part of the some of the 1.7 million cubic feet of Hurricane Ian debris that has been deposited at a FEMA dump by CrowderGulf Disaster Recovery & Debris Management. There are other debris dump sites as well on Sanibel Island and in various other areas.
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Agricultural and residential debris is part of the some of the 1.7 million cubic feet of Hurricane Ian debris that has been deposited at a FEMA dump by CrowderGulf Disaster Recovery & Debris Management. There are other debris dump sites as well on Sanibel Island and in various other areas.
Mike Braun / FGCU
One of several hundred debris-hauling trucks heads toward a FEMA dump operate by CrowderGulf Disaster Recovery & Debris Management just off U.S. 41 in Estero. There are other debris dump sites as well on Sanibel Island and in various other areas.
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One of several hundred debris-hauling trucks heads toward a FEMA dump operate by CrowderGulf Disaster Recovery & Debris Management just off U.S. 41 in Estero. There are other debris dump sites as well on Sanibel Island and in various other areas.
The amount of Hurricane Ian debris collected in Lee County as of Nov. 3 was more than 1.8 million cubic yards of agricultural and construction and demolition matter.
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The amount of Hurricane Ian debris collected in Lee County as of Nov. 3 was more than 1.8 million cubic yards of agricultural and construction and demolition matter.
Mike Braun / WGCU
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Mike Braun / WGCU
The Sanibel Police and Fire Departments responded to a fire in the debris pile on Island Inn Road this morning at approximately 6 a.m.
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The Sanibel Police and Fire Departments responded to a fire in the debris pile on Island Inn Road this morning at approximately 6 a.m.
Sanibel Fire Department / Special to WGCU
The Sanibel Police and Fire Departments responded to a fire in the debris pile on Island Inn Road this morning at approximately 6 a.m.
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The Sanibel Police and Fire Departments responded to a fire in the debris pile on Island Inn Road this morning at approximately 6 a.m.
Sanibel Fire Department / Special to WGCU
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Braun, Michael
Truck collecting debris from Hurricane Ian
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Truck collecting debris from Hurricane Ian
Photo courtesy of Dr. Kara Lefevre, chair of the Department of Ecology and Environmental Studies, Florida Gulf Coast University / Special to WGCU
Debris collection truck along a Lee County roadway
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Debris collection truck along a Lee County roadway
Lee County / Special to WGCU
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Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in Lee County on Sept. 28, 2022, made enough of a mess that Lee County health officials are still worried about dangerous debris and a rare waterborne illness
21 of 21  — WQR Jan 29 2023 Main Photo of hurricane IOan NHC.jfif
Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in Lee County on Sept. 28, 2022, made enough of a mess that Lee County health officials are still worried about dangerous debris and a rare waterborne illness
NOAA

The FEMA-approved funds are to reimburse the county for work done after the storm when the county used Solid Waste Reserves to pay Crowder Gulf and Thompson (the collector and the monitor) such as hauling away and tallying the debris.

The official said that when the process is complete and the funds flow in, they will go into Lee County's Solid Waste Reserves fund.

FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides grants to state, local, territorial and tribal governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations, including houses of worship, so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.

Applicants work with FEMA to develop projects and scopes of work. FEMA obligates funding for projects to the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) after final approval. Once a project is obligated, FDEM works closely with applicants to complete the grant process and begin making payments. FDEM has procedures in place designed to ensure grant funding is provided to local communities as quickly as possible.

For the latest information on Florida’s recovery from Hurricane Ian, visit floridadisaster.org/info and fema.gov/disaster/4673. Follow FEMA on X, formerly Twitter, at twitter.com/femaregion4 and at facebook.com/fema.

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Hurricane Recovery WGCU NewsHurricane IanDebris
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