How Debris Collection Works inside Pensacola City Limits

City of Pensacola

The city’s contractor is working 25 zones at once, starting with the heaviest tree canopy and the worst safety hazards. Expect multiple passes.

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The City of Pensacola says the first pass of hurricane debris collection will take 4-5 weeks after the storm, meaning every residential street should see at least a portion of its debris collected by late November. A second pass of equal length will follow immediately.

Priority is given to areas with the most damage, the densest tree canopy, and large, heavy hazards.

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How the Work Is Organized

Areas with the most tree canopy and damage come first. The city’s contractor has divided Pensacola into 25 zones based on Sanitation Services’ collection routes and has crews in each zone daily. Crews use the city’s tree canopy maps to identify areas likely to have the most storm damage. You can see this visualized in the debris collection tracker.

Safety hazards take priority. Supervisors check priority areas daily for debris that could endanger drivers and pedestrians, such as large tree trunks or piles extending into the roadway. Those areas come before non-hazard items and piles.

Expect partial street collections. After safety hazards are handled, trucks fill their remaining weight capacity with smaller debris such as leaves, twigs and branches. That means crews may collect debris from one property but not the next, or leave part of a pile behind, as they work through the heavy-canopy zones.

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What’s Next

• Crews will keep working through the prioritized zones until every street has been serviced.
• A second pass begins immediately after and will also take 4-5 weeks.
• There will be multiple debris passes until all streets are clear, so residents can set out additional piles.

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In the meantime, drive carefully around hurricane debris and be patient while crews work through the city.