MIDDLEBURG, Fla. — It’s been five weeks since Hurricane Irma rocked Northeast Florida, but neighbors are still dealing with debris. We’ve been showing you the piles of debris in various counties, including Duval and St. Johns, over the past couple weeks.
Now we’re looking at Clay County, which saw devastating flooding.
We drove down Lazy Acres Road, which backs up to Black Creek. There were piles and piles of yard waste and household furniture. Homeowners on American Way, around the corner, claim no one has touched their street at all.
We found Michael Frame hard at work Monday. He is taking the phrase “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” to heart by collecting wood someone chopped up and set out on the curb after Hurricane Irma.
“This is my second load. I loaded a whole full truck yesterday, from right there. It started from right here. Two stacks,” he said.
Clay County officials started debris pickup in September. They said, “We will be doing other passes. Please do not worry if all your debris is not out after the first pass.”
The Black Creek area is prone to flooding, but Irma was unlike anything residents have ever seen. Whole structures and trees were relocated.
Although cleanup has been slow, Frame chooses to be optimistic and believes the county is doing the best it can.
“They’re having to find different places to stage this stuff. They don’t have any place that can take it,” he said.
Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives will be available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday at Orange Park Town Hall to help anyone needing to register for assistance.