PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Less than a week after an extremely rare outbreak of tornadoes leveled several communities in our area, two are feeling forgotten.
Neighborhoods throughout Loxahatchee and the Acreage took a beating. Preliminary reports from the National Weather Service show that's where an EF3 tornado unleashed its wrath.
At the start of a new week, Elizabeth Accomando, president of the Indian Trails Improvement District, told WPTV Anchor Hollani Davis some residents are still without power.
Accomando also said they are in the process of finding a place for Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives to come in and help residents apply for emergency assistance and small business loans. They hope to have a location by the end of the week.
To add to the pains, streets look like war zones. Enormous trees and debris are down everywhere. Officials want to clear up misinformation about trash collection.
Here's what the Solid Waste Authority said will apply for all unincorporated areas of Palm Beach County including Jupiter Farms, Palm Beach Country Estates and Loxahatchee Groves:
- Residents should set out storm debris in separate piles. The 6-cubic yard of vegetation to the curb does not apply.
- In areas not hit by tornadoes, trash collectors will abide by the 6-cubic-yard rule, because they don't have the resources to haul more trash away according to Patrick Caroll with the Solid Waste Authority who addressed the Indian Trails District Sunday. Residents can set out 3 bulk items on the curb for regular collection day.
- Trash collectors will continue to make "passes" until all of the trash is cleared.
Patrick Carroll with the Solid Waste Authority said eventually, contracted companies like AshBritt, which was brought in as part of the emergency response, will hand the baton over to regular trash collection services.
"We are working with them right now to amend their contract to allow them to pick up storm debris," Carroll said. "So, don't worry everything is going to get picked up."
Residents are asked to keep trash out of the roadway for vehicles to get through. Officials are also asking people to stack it away from fire hydrants and mailboxes.
Those who decide to haul their own trash to a transfer station will be charged the normal fee.
Residents with questions should call the Solid Waste Authority customer service number at 561-697-2700.
