Sanibel, FL — Debris trucks are making steady progress in Sanibel, helping to clear the island from Hurricane Ian.
Residents say some areas of the island are cleaning up much faster than others.
The Sanibel crew must clear two types of debris. The first is vegetation like fallen trees. The second is construction and demolition waste, which is everything from homes and businesses.
“There’s more here than you can imagine,” said island resident Greg Andersen.
So far, 10.3K trucks have been cleared of debris. Most of them are trees.
“Imagine all the homes on the island, the drywall insulation, the flooring, the furniture, the televisions, the appliances, the bikes, and the sheer amount of stuff,” Andersen said.
Neighbors who live on the highway, like Lindgren, said they see debris trucks constantly moving forward.
However, on side roads such as Anchor Drive, the debris is mostly pristine, they said.
“About a week and a half ago, we emptied the contents of the house, the couches and the furniture,” said Dan Saunders.
Sanders said those curb items have been recovered, but wonders when it will be the same for a neighbor a few blocks down a dead-end street.
“There are definitely some side streets that have not been cleared yet, and it’s very difficult to actually get in and out of those streets,” Sanders said.
In every vacant lot between those houses, debris towers over the streets.
“There’s a route they have to take, and I’m sure it’s going to take some time to get through all the houses here,” Sanders said.
But he knows it takes time to clean up.
To see what debris has been cleared in Sanibel, visit the city’s website to view an interactive map.
