Charleston expects to be finished with Hurrican Ian debris cleanup by the end of the week

Charleston, South Carolina (WCSC) – More than a month after Hurricane Ian made landfall in South Carolina, the city of Charleston says clearing of debris is nearly complete.

City officials worked quickly to clear debris from the roads, and large piles were removed within a day or two after the storm.

Almost a month later, officials estimate 95% cleanup will be complete by the end of this week. A worker hauled about seven million pounds of garden waste out of the storm in his 275 trucks, according to the head of environmental services. Debris is taken to an area where it is sorted for use in mulching and composting.

The head of environmental services, Matt Alltop, said the crew worked a lot of overtime.

“I mean, they’ve been working 29 of the last 36 days. Yeah, so they’ve been really busting their ass to pick it all up. We’re watching, and obviously we know that strong tropical winds can bring down more debris,” says Alltop. “So, if that happens, we’ll come out here again and clean up. And know that we’ll make sure to separate the debris.

Alltop reminds people that whenever they have yard trash, such as twigs or grass clippings, they should separate them from other trash and put them in a brown paper bag on the curb.

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