Marion County sits far enough inland that the worst of a hurricane usually arrives as wind and water rather than surge — which sounds better than it is. Wind takes down limbs and fences, and water gets into garages and sheds. What is left afterwards is rarely one job.
The useful thing to understand early is that storm debris splits into two piles that get handled completely differently, and that mixing them is the most common reason a yard stays half-cleared for weeks.
Pile one: vegetation
Branches, limbs, palm fronds, whole trees. After a declared disaster, county and municipal debris collection programs are often stood up for exactly this, and when one is running it is free at the curb.
That is worth checking before paying anyone, including us. Programs vary by event and by whether you are inside Ocala city limits or in unincorporated Marion County, so check with the county or your city rather than taking anybody's word for what is being collected this time.
Pile two: everything else
Fence panels, soaked furniture, ruined carpet, garage contents, a shed that came apart, appliances that sat in water. Curbside storm programs frequently do not take construction debris or household items even when they are taking vegetation, and that is where people get stuck.
That second pile is the one we can take. It also tends to be the one that matters, because it is what stops you using your garage.
Do not wait for it to dry out
Anything soft that got wet — upholstery, mattresses, carpet, cardboard — starts growing mold in Florida humidity within a couple of days, and it does not stop because the sun came out. Waiting to see what is salvageable usually converts a removal job into a bigger removal job.
Furniture with solid wood or metal frames is worth drying and assessing. Anything with foam, stuffing or a mattress core almost never is.
Photograph everything before it goes
If you are making an insurance claim, photograph the damage where it sits, before anybody moves it — wide shots and close-ups, and the room it came from. Once it is on a trailer it is very hard to prove what it was.
This is worth doing even if you are unsure about claiming. It costs two minutes now and cannot be recreated later.
What we can and cannot take
- Fence panels, decking and non-structural debris — yes
- Soaked furniture, carpet and mattresses — yes
- Appliances that have been in water — yes, tell us so we handle them properly
- Branch and limb piles — yes, though check the free county option first
- Anything with fuel, oil or chemicals in it — no, and generators and mowers need draining first
- Anything suspected of containing asbestos — no, older structures need assessing before anybody touches them
A note on timing
We work Saturdays and Sundays, and the weekend after a storm is the busiest of the year for everyone in this trade. Send photos as early as you can — it costs nothing and it puts you in the queue with a real number attached rather than a description.