Debris, mosquitoes, meetings, volunteers: What you need to know today from The Woodlands Township

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Efforts are continuing by The Woodlands Township to assist residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

Township Chairman Gordy Bunch has called a Special Meeting of The Woodlands Township Board of Directors at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 5, 2017 to discuss storm debris removal and other storm-related efforts. The meeting will take place at 2801 Technology Forest Blvd., The Woodlands, Texas, 77381. The public is welcomed to attend.

The Woodlands Township board and staff are working diligently with Montgomery and Harris County regarding debris removal in the damaged areas of The Woodlands.

With school starting on Tuesday, September 5, 2017 for most children in The Woodlands, the need for volunteers will increase significantly, Chairman Bunch said. "Our community still needs a tremendous amount of volunteers, and most of this can happen during the day when kids are at school." Chairman Bunch encourages companies to send employees to volunteer, if possible. "It makes for great team building and helps our community in a tremendous way."

Interfaith has made volunteering very easy with online sign up forms: www.woodlandsinterfaith.org

TRASH AND DEBRIS

Waste Management curbside trash and yard waste service resumed normal schedule pickup days on Monday, September 4, 2017, for yard waste and trash only. Please Note: NO curbside recycling services through the week of September 4, 2017, due to manpower shortages. The Recycling Center on Research Forest is also closed through the week.

The Precinct 3 Recycling Center , located off Pruitt Road, is open Sunday to Sunday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice. The center is accepting drop-off debris. Please separate electronics, refrigerators and paint from other household debris. Recycling is also accepted.

VILLAGE OF CREEKSIDE PARK

The Woodlands Township has learned Harris County will begin collecting storm debris in unincorporated areas which include The Woodlands residences in the Village of Creekside Park. The schedule for Creekside Park has not been announced. Harris County officials said they expect to make multiple passes through neighborhoods over time.

A special hotline has been established for information and to document your residence: 713-274-3880 for Harris County debris removal. Operators at the hotline number have said debris needs to be sorted and separated into four (4) categories: 1. Landscaping, 2. Drywall/carpet/trim, 3. Appliances, 4. Electronics. All items need to be curbside, but not in the roadway.

More information is anticipated to be uploaded here: www.eng.hctx.net Additional information can be found on Facebook by searching “Harris County Residential Debris and Damage Assessment.”

MONTGOMERY COUNTY DEBRIS REMOVAL

Montgomery County started debris removal on Sunday, September 3, 2017. For more information, go to the Montgomery County website at http://mctxoem.org/. At this page, you can find a link for Debris Pickup.

SHELTERS AND VOLUNTEERING

Shelter, volunteer and donation information is changing constantly. Please visit www.woodlandsinterfaith.org and www.mctxoem.org to learn more about shelters, donations and volunteer opportunities in The Woodlands. Interfaith will need volunteers throughout the coming weeks.

FEMA

The Township has received notice of the President’s FEMA Declaration for Montgomery and Harris Counties. This declaration will allow county governments to initiate debris removal programs and provide reimbursement of certain emergency expenses incurred by local government during the emergency and will allow individuals to start filing for emergency assistance.

Apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov. Constituents may call the registration phone number at 1-800-621-3362; those who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1- 800-621-3362. For Harris County clean-up assistance, contact CrisisCleanup.org, visit HarrisRecovery.org, or call 1-800-451-1954 to report your need.

SCHOOLS

Conroe ISD, Magnolia ISD, Tomball ISD, resumed Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017. Please check your school district’s web pages, Twitter and Facebook accounts for specific updates. The John Cooper School and The Woodlands Christian Academy open September 5, 2017, as well. Spring ISD opens September 11, 2017.

GENERAL TOWNSHIP UPDATES

The Woodlands Express will resume full, normal operations on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, at all three Park and Ride facilities. Operations at the Sawdust Park and Ride, which sustained damage during the storm, will be handled utilizing temporary terminal facilities until repairs have been completed. Follow on Twitter @TownshipTransit. The Twitter feed is viewable without a Twitter account at www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/transportation on the right side of the page.

Town Center Trolleys are operational. Lake Woodlands and the boat houses are open. Blood Drive

The Woodlands Township will host a blood drive for the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center on Tuesday, September 5, 2017, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at The Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park, 6464 Creekside Forest Drive, 77389.

MOSQUITOES

Within a couple of weeks, mosquito populations are expected to increase, due to flooding and standing water in the area. Most of these mosquitoes are considered nuisance mosquitoes and will not spread viruses. Studies show that hurricanes and floods do not typically cause an increase in viruses spread by mosquitoes, like Zika or West Nile, however please take precautions to protect yourself and your family.

For additional information, please visit the Centers for Disease Control website, https://www.cdc.gov/zika/vector/mosquitoes-and-hurricanes.html

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, please visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov and follow the Harvey Recovery Updates. You can also keep up through the Township’s Facebook and Twitter channels.

Please visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/notifyme and make sure you are subscribed to “Talk of the Township” to continue receiving regular editions of the “Talk of the Township” newsletter in the future.