What residents need to know
At a July 23 Commissioners Court meeting, Fort Bend County officials announced debris pick-up across the county remains underway.
In the two weeks post-storm, county staff have already collected 150,000 cubic yards of debris, which is equivalent to an entire football field stacked up to the lower field goal post, said Scott Wieghat, commissioner of Fort Bend County Road and Bridge.
“[We] started hauling four days post-landfall, which is pretty impressive,” he said. “It’s something you don’t see happen very quick.”
Within the four-day period, Wieghat said the county:
- Cleared all roadways of debris
- Brought in 100 trucks, trailers and equipment
- Established four temporary debris management sites
“Keep in mind when we were back in Hurricane Harvey, we had a lot less homes and a lot less people, and it took over three months to pick up all the debris,” he said.
Residents who have debris are asked to contact the Fort Bend Storm Debris Call Center at 833-307-9937 between Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
What else?
Meanwhile, Fort Bend County Judge KP George said power has been restored for all 353,491 of the Fort Bend County residents who were without power, as of July 19. If residents don’t have power, the cause is likely having to do with individual homes, George said.
Another note
Following site approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Fort Bend County will also open its disaster recovery centers, Greg Babst, the county’s emergency management coordinator, said at a July 22 news conference.
“You'll be able to visit those disaster recovery centers and see how to apply and help you apply for all those benefits coming after the disaster,” he said.
As of press time, the disaster recovery centers have not been released.
Looking ahead
The National Weather Service is predicting rainfall throughout the Greater Houston area through Saturday, July 27, with additional rainfall of 3 to 6 inches throughout the end of the week, with the highest totals expected south of the I-10 corridor.
Following Hurricane Beryl, Fort Bend County officials have worked to clear drainage systems, although residents are asked to do their part to ensure storm drains remain clear, as clogged drains can cause unwarranted flooding, Babst said.
