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City's Storm Sweep is a final push to clear Helene debris

By Lightning Reports, Published: March 31, 2025

The Hendersonville City Council is launching a Storm Sweep throughout April in a final push to clear remaining debris from Hurricane Helene in the city.

May 1 is the final day to place storm debris in the right-of-way for collection within the city limits. After this deadline, crews will conduct a final sweep to complete debris collection in the municipality.
“We want this to be a communitywide effort to restore Hendersonville to pre-storm conditions,” City Manager John Connet said. “We’re asking property owners, neighborhoods, HOA’s, and civic groups to join us in this final cleanup push.”

Connet also stressed the importance of residents cleaning up storm debris away from their homes and into the right-of-way as an important way to better protect their homes from the threat of wildfires.
Residents are encouraged to take this final opportunity to clear their properties of remaining storm debris and to ensure they are sorted correctly by type and placed in the right-of-way by May 1.
To participate, residents should sort and place storm debris into separate piles in the right-of-way in front of their property, ensuring it doesn’t block roadways, sidewalks, drainage ditches or utility infrastructure. Residents are encouraged to place final storm debris out as soon as possible to help crews efficiently track and collect remaining debris.

 
“This Storm Sweep is a key part of wrapping up debris collection from Hurricane Helene,” Connet said. “We are supplementing the countywide cleanup by dedicating additional resources and mutual aid assistance to make a final debris push within the city limits.”


Sort debris into these categories:

  • Vegetative debris – Tree limbs, logs, and branches.
  • Construction & demolition debris (C&D) – Building materials, drywall, lumber, carpet, furniture, roofing, plumbing. 
  • Storm-related household hazardous waste – Paint, oil, batteries, chemicals, cleaning supplies. 
  • Storm-damaged electronics – TVs, computers, DVD players, stereos, phones. 
  • Storm-damaged appliances – Refrigerators, washers, dryers, air conditioners, stoves, water heaters, dishwashers. Appliance doors must be secured.

Other details:

  • Only Hurricane Helene-related storm debris will be collected. Do not bag storm debris – leave it loose for collection.
    Keep piles at least 5 feet away from hydrants, utility poles, meter boxes, sewer clean-outs, mailboxes, garbage carts or structures. 
  • Avoid placing debris directly under trees, power lines, or in areas that may obstruct collection vehicles. 
  • Storm debris should be placed in the right-of-way within ten feet of the roadside. 
  • Do not place debris where it could wash into waterways or storm drains. 
  • Regular household garbage and recyclables should go in the usual carts for routine collection. 
  • Non-storm vegetative yard waste collection may be delayed during the storm sweep.

Residents do not need to contact public works as crews have already mapped and will continue to map and track debris piles for collection. For property owners who can’t move debris to the right-of-way or lack debris removal insurance, visit https://www.hendersoncountync.gov/em/page/private-property-debris-removal-program for information on Henderson County’s Private Property Debris Removal Program.

 
Property owners must place sorted storm debris in the right-of-way by May 1 to ensure collection by the city. Debris set out after this deadline will be the property owner's responsibility to dispose of and will be subject to code enforcement action.