Clearing Debris After a Storm Can be a Disaster
Image courtesy of Oregon Department of Transportation under Attribution 2.0 Generic, resized to 700 x 391 pixels.
While it’s not something utilities do directly, the effectiveness of clearing debris after a storm can have a dramatic impact on the efficiency of restoration operations. Typically, the process of clearing debris involves a patchwork of contractors and local agencies, and oftentimes this patchwork operates inefficiently. Let’s take a deeper dive.
Typical Scenario and Problems Associated with Clearing Debris
Let’s follow the bouncing ball here. Sometimes, local government agencies hire contractors to clear the debris, often coordinating with state agencies and filing for reimbursement from federal entities like FEMA. Other times, when the bus is being driven at the county level, county officials often coordinate with federal agencies like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Either way, speed is usually the main goal because contractors are typically compensated by weight or volume. This presents an issue because this need for speed trumps everything, including ecological care, and there is little oversight to right the wrongs.
This ecological indifference has served to rile up scientists and local tree huggers. And they have a point, as there are countless examples of crushed wildlife and animals like mussels, sometimes endangered species, as well as a carefree attitude to tree safety.
That said, public safety hangs in the balance. Simply put, it’s tough to find the balance between preserving nature and ensuring public safety, and since everyone wants their power turned back on yesterday, clearing debris is critical to allow utility crews the access needed to restore service.
Unfortunately, there is no easy solution. More storms mean more debris, and resources are always limited. From a utility emergency preparedness perspective, the only thing that can be done is to account for debris-clearing problems within emergency restoration plans.
There’s little doubt that clearing debris after an event is a real hassle for everyone – from residents, to utilities, government officials, scientists, and even contractors.
