Today’s eyesore could be tomorrow’s health hazard

HOUSTON — Roiling waters in the streets have been replaced by stifling piles of garbage on the curbs.

Harvey’s record-setting rains created heaps of ruined possessions that now line entire neighborhoods, nearly up to the rooftops of the homes that were swamped. All that sodden drywall, flooring, furniture, clothing and toys adds up to an estimated 8 million cubic yards in Houston, enough to fill up the Texans’ stadium two times over.

Texas and city officials have pledged to make a priority of the monumental task of cleaning it up, though they stopped short of giving specific timelines, mindful that such cleanups have dragged on longer than anticipated after other major storms.

“We want to get it removed as quickly as possible,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told reporters Thursday.

For now, the piles big and small have become evidence, of sorts, of the losses from more than 200,000 damagedhomesupanddownthe Texas coast.

Not only are the heaps eyesores, but they are starting to give off a musty funk. And they could become havens for mold, not to mention snakes, rats, skunks and other critters. The junk could also turn into projectiles if another hurricane strikes.

“I just can’t stand it anymore,” said Peggy Lanigan, who took a break from clearing out her Houston home that flooded for the first time in 22 years.

The city is pushing to complete a “first pass” of debris removal within 30 days, said Derek Mebane, deputy assistant director of Houston’s solid waste department.

As it stands now, clearing even just one Houston street can take days. Some piles are so massive that a single stack of debris from one home can fill up an entire truck.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner this week pleaded for help, asking for anyone with heavy equipment suitable for debris removal to reach out.