Pasco Reporter

Earlier this month, U.S. Congressman Gus Bilirakis led an initiative by sending a letter to President Biden. The letter requested that FEMA offer increased flexibility to communities in Florida severely affected by hurricanes, enabling local governments to expedite debris removal. Bilirakis emphasized the urgency of the situation: “As you drive through our community, you can’t miss the piles of debris and trash that have been rotting along roadways and in driveways for weeks. Local governments have done their best to remove the debris as quickly as they are able under current guidelines, but we need to remove those restrictions so that we can get these obstructive hazards cleaned up. I will keep pushing federal agencies to be as flexible as possible so that we can focus on rebuilding and supporting those who are suffering.”

Following this appeal from Bilirakis and other members of Florida’s Congressional Delegation, FEMA issued technical guidance allowing specific counties most impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton more leeway in removing debris. The 31 hardest-hit counties include Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus.

The waivers provided by FEMA permit several actions without prior approval:

- One pass for removing commercial debris related to incidents placed on public Right of Way (ROW).

- Removal and disposal of debris on private roads during the initial pass for emergency access.

- Clearing commercial and private property debris placed on ROWs for private roads, including gated communities.

- Increased reimbursement percentage for vegetative debris hand-loaded into trucks or trailers or loaded into trucks without solid tailgates.

FEMA typically covers 75% of eligible costs for debris removal while state or local governments cover the remaining 25%. However, in response to Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helen's impact on certain counties, FEMA’s Public Assistance program will reimburse 100% of costs over a 90-day period.