Storm Safety Tips
Residents can report blocked storm drains, potholes, washouts, and other road damage by contacting Hillsborough County Public Works at (813) 635-5400, or at www.HillsboroughCounty.org/AtYourService.
- Follow these safety tips to help keep you and your family safe:
- Clear yard of any debris, plant material or items (garden décor, foliage, or garbage cans) that can block water flow and storm drains.
- Never drive through moving water or standing water. Standing water that is only two feet deep can disable most vehicles.
- Barricades are placed for your protection. If you come upon a barricade or a flooded road, turn around and go a different way.
- Be careful walking and driving. Flooding may have caused pathways to shift, and erode roadsides, as well as leave surfaces coated with slippery mud.
- Treat non-functioning traffic signals as a four-way stop.
- Avoid downed or hanging power lines. Always assume the power line is live.
- Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to see possible flood dangers.
- Exercise caution around workers repairing surfaces and observe all directional instructions and detour signs.
Mosquito Control
With heavy rainfall, residents may now have standing water around their homes that can support the breeding of mosquitoes. Follow these tips from the Florida Department of Health to help prevent mosquito breeding:
- Drain water from garbage cans, house gutters, pool covers, coolers, toys, flowerpots, buckets, watering cans, kiddie pools, and any other containers where rainwater has collected.
- Discard old tires, drums, bottles, cans, pots and pans, broken appliances, and other items that may collect water.
- Empty and clean birdbaths and pet water bowls at least once or twice a week.
- Protect boats and vehicles from rain with tarps that do not accumulate water.
- Maintain swimming pools in good condition and chlorination.
For more information on the Mosquito and Aquatic Weed Control Unit, tips to reduce mosquitoes, a video about the Unit or to report a mosquito concern, visit the Mosquito Control webpage at www.HillsboroughCounty.org/Mosquito or call (813) 635-5400.
Yard Debris Disposal
Hillsborough County residents who may have downed tree limbs and other storm-related yard debris can place material out for normal residential yard waste collection on their scheduled day. Residents may set out a maximum of two cubic yards, which amounts to approximately 12 30-gallon containers for curbside collection. Tree trimmings and limbs must be less than six inches in diameter and cut to lengths less than four feet.
Bulkier storm debris and excessive amounts of residential yard waste (i.e. tree limbs and branches larger than six inches in diameter), may be delivered to one of the County’s three Yard Waste Processing Facilities Monday thru Saturday, from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., for disposal:
· Falkenburg Facility, 346 Falkenburg Road in Tampa
· Northwest Facility, 8001 W. Linebaugh Ave. in Tampa
· South County Facility, 13000 US Highway 41 in Gibsonton
Yard waste disposal is included in Hillsborough County residents’ Solid Waste Disposal assessment therefore Hillsborough County residential Solid Waste customers must bring a copy of their Annual Property Tax Bill showing their Non-Ad Valorem Assessment for Solid Waste Disposal and a driver’s license or other photo identification to access the sites at no charge. All others can dispose of their yard waste and vegetative debris, for fee of $38.01 per ton.
For more information, call the Hillsborough County Solid Waste Management Division at (813) 272-5680 or visit the website at www.HillsboroughCounty.org/SolidWaste.