Hurricane Florence Debris Collection Nearing Completion

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Hurricane Florence Debris Collection Nearing Completion

Please Place Debris at Street Edge by October 28th

Update #31 – Thursday, October 18 – 1 pm

Additional Hurricane Florence Updates as Warranted

This update is a periodic update on the Town’s recovery efforts associated with Hurricane Florence.  Additional updates will be distributed periodically as new information becomes available that may be helpful to our residents, property owners, businesses, and visitors.

Please note that the official information from the Town of Emerald Isle is always posted on their site, Just click on “Latest News” in the bottom left-hand corner of the main page, and the most recent post regarding Florence contains accurate information.  As additional information becomes available that is new, different, or updated, it will be distributed through all of the Town’s digital platforms and posted on the Town’s website.

Please Place Florence Debris at Street Edge by Sunday, October 28

The Town’s debris contractors are approximately 80% complete, and we are hopeful that all debris will be collected from Town streets by November 1. The Town’s contractor is currently operating with a total of 10 trucks in Emerald Isle.
Please make sure all construction and demolition debris and vegetative debris from your property are placed at the street edge no later than the end of the day on Sunday, October 28 to ensure that your debris is collected by the Town’s contractor (at no charge to you).
Out-of-town property owners who still need to gather debris on their property are encouraged to use these next two weekends to place your debris at the street edge.

The Town’s debris contractors have collected more than 132,000 cubic yards of debris associated with Florence.  To put this in perspective, this equates to 5,500 loads of debris in one of the Town’s typical yard debris collection trucks.  The Town’s Public Works Department averages approximately 1,000 loads for an entire year!

As reported in previous updates, Emerald Isle residents who do not want to wait for the Town’s contractor to collect debris from the street edge may transport their own debris to a temporary disposal site at Western Park off Old NC 58 in Cedar Point.  Additionally, Carteret County has now established a procedure for your personal contractor to deliver your personal debris to the County’s temporary disposal site on NC 58 near Peletier Loop Road, however, the property owner must complete the form in the following link and have the contractor present the form when disposing of debris: Vegetative Storm Debris Self-Haul Form.  Please note that there is no disposal fee at the County’s temporary disposal site, so your personal contractor should not be charging you a fee for disposal.

Debris Collection Guidelines

For street edge collection by the Town’s contractor, please help us complete the collection of debris in the most efficient and safe manner by adhering to the following instructions:

  • please create SEPARATE piles at the street edge,
  • please create one pile for vegetative debris (trees and limbs), one pile for construction and demolition debris (shingles, siding, plywood, studs, etc.), and one pile for discarded furnishings (carpet, furniture, large personal items),
  • tree and limb debris segments should be no longer than 12 feet,
  • please place discarded appliances in a separate location at the street edge,
  • please avoid placing piles directly under power lines and other overhead utility lines, as this may present a safety hazard to collection crews and may result in a slower collection process,
  • do not dispose of household hazardous waste at the street edge, and
  • please note that it is illegal to burn debris within the Town.

Please be mindful of your neighbors, and place your debris on the street right-of-way in front of your own property, and not on your neighbor’s property.  Also, please do not transport your debris to another neighborhood simply because you are impatient, and consider how you would feel if others brought their debris to your neighborhood.  Additionally, DO NOT take debris to Town facilities, as these facilities are being used and/or will soon be used by others in our community for their intended purpose.

The Town’s contractors are working hard to collect all Hurricane Florence debris – it’s just A LOT of debris to collect!  No streets have been forgotten, nor will be forgotten, and the Town’s contractors will get to your street.  Thank you for your patience!

Town’s Debris Contractors Working to Remove Hurricane Florence Beach Debris

The Town’s debris contractors initially planned to remove consolidated piles of debris from the beach strand at the base of the dunes at the beginning of October but were delayed due to mechanical issues.  These issues are nearly resolved, and the contractors expect to begin the collection of consolidated piles in the next few days.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day Rescheduled

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day Rescheduled for October 27. The Coastal Environmental Partnership has rescheduled the household hazardous waste and electronics collection day for Carteret County for Saturday, October 27 from 8 am to 1 pm.  The drop-off site is the Carteret County Health Department, located at 3820 Bridges Street in Morehead City.

Emerald Isle residents can dispose of the following items:  latex and oil paints, used motor oil, farm pesticides, gasoline, drain openers, paint thinners, cooking oil, antifreeze, batteries, lawn and garden fertilizer, and pesticides.

Items not accepted include commercial waste, gas cylinders, explosives, ammunition, or infectious, biological, or radioactive waste.

Please visit the following link for more information:  http://www.cepnc.org/hazardous-waste.html .

FEMA Individual Assistance Available to Qualifying Residents and Businesses

Permanent residents of Emerald Isle may qualify for direct assistance with temporary housing needs, repairs, and debris removal expenses, and may also qualify for low-interest loans to assist with Florence impacts.  Second homeowners and businesses in Emerald Isle may qualify for low-interest loans to assist with Florence impacts.  To learn more and to see if you qualify for assistance, please contact FEMA at 1-800-621-3362 or visit https://www.disasterassistance.gov/ .

Other Assistance Options

You can also find additional information on other Local & National Organizations Providing Hurricane Florence Relief right here.

Town Staff Working Hard to Get EI Back to Normal

Town staff continues to work hard to clean up and complete necessary repairs after Florence. In addition to the other significant items included in this update, some of the key efforts include the following:
  • They have replaced a critical section of stormwater pipe in the Cape Emerald subdivision.  This pipe drains the entire Coast Guard Road ocean side between Pebble Beach and Ocean Oaks.
  • They have made great progress on the NC 58 corridor, and are very close to restoring this area to park-like status.  The Town takes great pride in the appearance of our beautiful community!
  • They are currently working to secure contractors to complete tree removal and clean-up activities in Emerald Isle Woods Park, McLean-Spell Park, and other Town parks.
  • They continue to collect all damaged appliances from the street edge throughout the Town.

Town Seeking Beach Nourishment Bids


The Town, in conjunction with Carteret County and the Town of Indian Beach, will be releasing a bid solicitation later this week for the nourishment of approximately 3 miles of ocean beach in eastern Emerald Isle. This project covers the same area previously planned for nourishment this winter (between the Indian Beach town limits and the 3000 block; before Florence impacted Emerald Isle), but the scope now includes the replacement of the approximately 617,000 cubic yards of sand lost during Hurricane Florence.

Bids will be received just prior to Thanksgiving, and if the bid prices are reasonable, the Town will award a contract and likely begin construction around the beginning of 2019.  The Town will be seeking reimbursement from FEMA for these expenses.

The Town, in conjunction with Carteret County and the Town of Pine Knoll Shores, will also be working toward a larger beach nourishment project to replace additional Florence sand losses during the winter of 2019-2020.  Due to permitting issues, contractor availability, FEMA issues, and project logistics, the earliest that the Town can proceed with beach nourishment in central and western Emerald Isle is the winter of 2019-2020.
In total, the Town is seeking approximately $40 million from FEMA and the NC Division of Emergency Management to replace approximately 2.2 million cubic yards of sand lost during Hurricane Florence.  The Town expects a decision from FEMA on this reimbursement in the coming months.

Beach Driving

Beach driving permitted from 7 am – 7 pm only due to the presence of many consolidated debris piles along the dune escarpment, the presence of numerous “gullies” on the beach strand, and the narrow width of the beach strand in certain areas at high tide, the Town is allowing beach driving during daylight hours only until further notice.  Beach driving is currently permitted from 7 am – 7 pm only.  A decision to revert back to the normal 5 am – 9 pm hours will be considered after all debris is removed from the beach strand.

Comprehensive Summary of Hurricane Florence Impacts, Status of Recovery Efforts Available Online

A summary report outlining the Town’s response to Hurricane Florence, the known impacts to Town facilities and infrastructure, recovery efforts, and ideas for consideration in planning for future storm events was presented to the Board of Commissioners at the October 9 meeting.  A copy of this report is available for public viewing at  https://www.emeraldisle-nc.org/Memo-10-09-2018-Item-14

Helpful Information

The Town of Emerald Isle works hard to keep residents, property owners, and visitors well-informed and offers several platforms.
To receive the most current information from the Town of Emerald Isle, please: