Monroe County, FL Hurricane Preparedness: Storm Debris (2026)

Section 11-2 sets out Monroe County's disaster-debris removal program, triggered once a local state of emergency is declared under Section 11-1. The county's primary mission after a storm is protecting lives and property, restoring government services, and clearing public streets and canals; only after that does the county turn to private rights-of-way, gated community roads, and canals, and only when the Emergency Management Director determines an immediate threat to health, safety, or welfare exists, weighing 17 listed factors such as blocked emergency access, fire hazard, mosquito or vermin harborage, and canal passability for first responders.

The debris covered is broad: vegetative debris, hazardous limbs, construction and demolition debris, household hazardous waste, e-waste, white goods, putrescent debris, and even marine vessels, but the ordinance excludes debris on vacant lots, forests, and agricultural land, concrete slabs and foundations, and construction debris from rebuilding disaster-damaged property. Property owners carry real obligations before county crews arrive. Debris must be neatly stacked with its leading edge inside the three-foot roadside shoulder, separated by category, kept clear of the roadway, traffic signs, and stormwater structures, and kept away from power lines, water meters, fire hydrants, vehicles, mailboxes, and fences within three feet.

An owner who misplaces debris is liable for any damage county crews cause removing it, and anyone who piles non-qualifying debris for removal has 24 hours after notice to remove it themselves or bear the county's removal cost. HOAs and gated-community associations must indemnify the county before it enters their private roads. Separately, Section 11-2(f) preserves the county's ability to push and clear debris, public or private, within the first 70 hours after a disaster declaration solely to keep emergency vehicle routes open.