Manatee County ends Hurricane Ian debris pickup. It could fill half the Astrodome
Three months after Hurricane Ian hit the Bradenton area, Manatee County officials announced they’re finished collecting debris caused by the powerful storm.
What they’ve picked up would fill half the Houston Astrodome or 100 Goodyear blimps.
Local government officials hired several contractors to roam the county, searching for piles of the damage Ian left in its wake. Those crews picked up a total of nearly 785,000 cubic yards of debris, including fencing, tree branches and appliances that were destroyed in the hurricane.
That debris weighs more than 185 million pounds, county officials said.
A county spokesperson said that vegetative debris material is mulched and repurposed for agricultural use. Construction and demolition debris is taken to a different disposal location and is not mulched.
The debris totals from Ian were 25% higher than what was collected after Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit Manatee County in recent memory.
“County staff and contractors want to thank everyone for their patience in bringing this monumental effort to a close,” Manatee County Government said in a press release.
While Ian largely spared the Bradenton area from the same kind of destruction just 70 miles south, the county’s overall debris collection figures show how the hurricane created a massive mess.
How much debris did Ian create in Manatee?
Just how much material does it take to fill 785,000 cubic yards? According to The Measure of Things, a website that compares volume and size, here are some comparisons that help visualize the destruction wrought by Hurricane Ian.
Each of these items would fill 785,000 cubic yards:
- 1/2 the Houston Astrodome
- 1/4 the Great Pyramid of Giza
100 Goodyear blimps
- 250 Olympic-sized swimming pools
- 55,000 concrete mixer trucks
- 850,000 hot tubs
- 55,000,000 million basketballs
In Lee County, where Ian made landfall in September, officials are dealing with significantly more debris. As of Thursday afternoon, crews have collected over 5 million cubic yards of debris, which is enough to fill three Houston Astrodomes.
Debris collection in Manatee County officially comes to an end Friday. Residents who still have yard waste (branches, leaves and other clippings) should follow their normal collection schedule.
This story was originally published December 22, 2022 at 1:06 PM.
