Travis County started flood debris pickup Monday — what to know

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Travis County is asking people affected by last week’s floods to sort and place debris on the curb.

The county started debris pickup in an area of Leander on Monday, according to a news release from Travis County. The county said crews plan on doing multiple rounds over the next several days to gather the large volume of debris.

The roads to receive the free curbside pickup service are listed below, as provided by Travis County:

• Long Hollow Loop
• Summit View Drive
• Layne Loop
• Long Hollow Trl
• Sheep Hollow Trl
• Juniper Trl
• Yaupon Trl
• Juniper Ct
• Windy Valley Drive
• Round Mountain Road
• Big Sandy Drive
• Sandy Meadow Cir
• Pecan Hollow
• Sunset Hollow
• A portion of Nameless Road highlighted in the attached map

“Residents on these roads are asked to make every effort to get their debris out to the curb as soon as possible. There will be multiple rounds of pickup through the impacted areas over the next several days as crews work to collect an enormous volume of debris,” the release said.

The county said debris pickup does not include household trash, and it will not be accepted.

The county said the debris left for pickup “must be sorted and placed separately” into the following categories:

• Appliances (Example: refrigerators, washers, dryers, air conditioners, stoves, water heaters, dishwashers)
• Construction and demolition materials (Example: drywall, lumber, carpet, furniture, plumbing)
• Brush and vegetation – tree trunks and limbs must be less than 10’ long
• Hazardous waste (Example: oil, batteries, paint, cleaning supplies)
• Electronics (Example: televisions, computers, phones, gaming consoles)

“Debris should be placed along the road at the edge of your property without blocking the road or access to property,” the county said. “If there’s a sidewalk, debris can be placed between the sidewalk and curb. Please keep a 3 ft. perimeter. Do not stack, lean, or place any debris on or near trees, poles, mailboxes, utility boxes, fire hydrants, meters, or any structure that can make removal difficult.”

As neighbors and volunteers continue cutting and chopping debris, while also searching for people who are still missing after floods, some are frustrated that they have to re-sort piles.

“We’ve had volunteers out here, hundreds, working their butts off to get these piles to where they are,” Barbara Davis, a neighbor, said.

Travis County said it understands these frustrations. It’s asking anyone who needs help to call its crisis cleanup hotline at 512-806-0800. It’ll connect you with volunteers from local relief organizations, community groups and faith communities.

Residents should not “enter waterways to remove debris under any circumstances.”

“Waterway areas can remain hazardous for days and may contain sewage, chemicals, sharp debris or downed power lines. Residents should wait for official clearance before entering affected areas. Additionally, there is still active search and rescue occurring. Search and rescue efforts need 100 yards on both sides of the creek to be able to search,” the county said.

Here is an illustration provided by the county on debris placement guidelines:

Those who need to throw out household trash can bring it to a dumpster that is located on the north side of the Sandy Creek Bridge. Additionally, a trash drop-off location is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, at the FM 1431 Citizens Collection Center, according to the county.

“Construction for a two-way low-water crossing is running parallel to the damaged Sandy Creek Bridge is underway,” the release said.

A resource center is also open through the weekend from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Danielson Middle School.

“CapMetro and Leander ISD are providing transportation to the resource center, as well as the Leander Park & Ride and H-E-B, from Round Mountain Baptist Church,” the county said.

For more information, visit the Travis County Office of Emergency Management’s flooding recovery page.

In the meantime, volunteers from around the Austin area and state are showing up at the Sandy Creek neighborhood to help clear and sort debris.

From tents, cases of drinks and food, to volunteers bringing their own small bulldozers and trucks to help clear debris, there are various people helping in different ways.

Aimee Cavazos, a mobile massage therapist, is offering recovery massages to people picking up debris.

“They appreciate it. They feel better,” Cavazos said. “I’ve worked with a lot of construction workers. I know that 10-15 minutes will do wonders.”