NAVIGATING THE STORM Disaster Debris Management March 2014 Ice Storm Chris Marriott Deputy Director – Field Operations Department

Disasters in North Carolina Ice Storm Tornado Hurricane Flooding Earthquake Mud Slide Severe Thunderstorms

March 6-7 Storm in Greensboro Forecasted for a few inches of snow Possibly ending with freezing rain Accumulation of ice up to 0.10 inch

March 6-7 Storm in Greensboro

WHAT WE FOUND Trees down all over town, blocking streets Parks with extensive damage Yards littered with limbs & trees Less than 0.25 inch of ice

Immediate Actions (day 1) Assess damage - estimate PIO- Get out a statement to residents Begin clearing streets – CUT & PUSH Contact County Emergency Management Director Contact TDS Activate pre-positioned contract

Days 2-5 All primary & secondary roads clear by Monday morning City begins collecting material and taking it to permitted compost facility Meet with contractor to plan for pick-up process Prepare staff for expectations Prepare the TDS to accept material

Days 6-60 Contractor picking up material curbside Up to 13 crews, with a City monitor City covering light areas with 4 crews Operations were 7AM-7PM, 7 days/week

Days 6-60 City knuckle-boom collecting material

Days 6-60 Contractor crews

Days 6-60 Debris Site

Final Statistics City Crews = 1,758 tons Contractor = 13,510 tons City Residents = 697 tons 3000 ‘other’ tons at compost facility 1100 miles of streets City covering light areas with 4 crews Operations were 7AM-7PM, 7 days/week 250 City Employees;144 pieces of equipment Over 18,000 tons received at TDS Total cost was over $2.3 million

LESSONS Debris Site Collection Planning Public Information FEMA

LESSONS – Debris Site Must be PRE-APPROVED by SWS and activated prior to use Plan for storage, treatment, and traffic flow Material for tipping deck Maintenance

LESSONS – Debris Site

LESSONS – Collection Use Small Routes Track coverage daily Monitors required for contractor collection Use knowledge able people as coordinators

LESSONS – Collection FEMA tracking Back up documentation Notes kept on back Instant feedback

LESSONS – Collection Provided by Contractor Prepared by monitor Signed at TDS Tons vs. Cubic Yards

LESSONS – Public Information Know your PIO!! How to prepare material for collection Be CLEAR; have realistic dates Waived fees - Good idea?

LESSONS – Public Information

NO!

LESSONS – Public Information MOST HELPFUL TOOL EVER

LESSONS – FEMA Don’t expect them to know anything regarding operations SANDY Documentation Keep everything Review WHAT IS A KNUCKLE-BOOM???

Navigating the Storm Chris Marriott Thank You