The Woodlands curbside recycling underway; Storm update from The Woodlands Township

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- The Woodlands Township continues to aid and work with partners in order to help residents in the hardest hit areas of The Woodlands and to help all of The Woodlands get back to normal. This update includes the Township’s most updated information about recycling, mosquito spraying and other items.

TRASH AND DEBRIS

Good news—Normal schedule starts tomorrow—Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 All trash and recycling services back on normal schedule as of Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. View details.

Curbside recycling service will resume starting Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. In addition, the Recycling Center at 5402 Research Forest Drive will re-open starting Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017. Hours are Wednesdays, 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Simple Recycling for curbside textile recycling is now servicing all routes in The Woodlands on their normal trash pickup day.

All trash and yard waste services continue on regular schedule.

The Precinct 3 Recycling Center, 1122 Pruitt Road, is now open. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed daily 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Debris Drop-off Center, located adjacent to it, is open seven days a week, 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.

Important Information for Residents of Creekside Park

Harris County FEMA contractors are collecting storm debris in unincorporated areas which include The Woodlands residences in the Village of Creekside Park. While this service started in Harris County on September 4, 2017, the schedule for Creekside Park has not been announced. Harris County officials said they expect to make multiple passes through neighborhoods over time.

To address safety issues, The Woodlands Township, through a contract with Waste Management, began debris collection in the majorly impacted areas of the Village of Creekside Park on Friday, September 8, 2017, and will operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Township-contracted debris removal commenced near the streets of Sundown Ridge and Corbel Point Way using two large-scale grapple trucks. Click here for more details.

A special hotline has been established for information and to document your residence by Harris County: 713-274-3880 for Harris County debris removal.

Montgomery County debris removal underway

The Montgomery County Commissioners Court hired contractors using FEMA resources to provide debris pickup throughout flood-damaged areas of Montgomery County. The FEMA debris contractors are presently working throughout the county in flood-damaged areas.

Montgomery County Precinct 3 (Commissioner Noack) crews are also removing debris from residential areas in Precinct 3, which includes a large portion of The Woodlands Township. Commissioner Noack is using his Precinct crews and equipment to expedite the debris removal effort.

For more information on debris removal in Montgomery County, please go to the Montgomery County website at http://mctxoem.org/. At this page, you can find a link for Debris Pickup. Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management asks that if you have debris due to Hurricane Harvey to register under Debris Pickup and Damage Report at www.mctxoem.org.

If you received damage to your home or property, and haven’t done so already, register with

FEMA at DisasterAssistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362. If you have any questions, concerns or need assistance in registering with FEMA or debris pickup and damage reports, please call 936-523-3916.

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), please call 1-800-621-3362. For Harris County clean-up assistance, please contact CrisisCleanup.org, visit HarrisRecovery.org, or call 1-800-451-1954 to report your need.

Beware of Rumors, Misinformation and Fraud p> The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is raising awareness that Hurricane Harvey disaster survivors, and their friends and family, must be alert for false rumors, scams, identity theft and fraud. Although many Americans are working hard to help their neighbors now, during chaotic times, some will always try to take advantage of the most vulnerable.

To dispel some of the false rumors circulating on the internet and social media, FEMA created a dedicated website to address some of the most common themes. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Visit https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-harvey-rumor-control to get the most accurate information from trusted sources.

VOLUNTEERING AND SUPPLIES

Volunteer and supplies needed information is changing constantly. Please visit www.woodlandsinterfaith.org and www.mctxoem.org to learn more about donations and volunteer opportunities in The Woodlands. Interfaith will need volunteers throughout the next week.

MOSQUITOES AND AERIAL SPRAYING

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.

Aerial mosquito spray operations will begin in counties affected by Hurricane Harvey as early as September 10, 2017.

Spray operations are coordinated by the State Department of Health Services (DSHS) and conducted by the Department of Defense (DOD).

Aerial spraying targets flood plain mosquitoes. These are nuisance mosquitoes that proliferate after flood events, but do so in such large numbers that they can severely impact recovery efforts and quality of life.

Dates for spraying in each county are estimates. Harris County is likely to initiate on September 14, 2017 and terminate on September 18, 2017. It is unclear when Creekside Park will fall within that schedule.

Montgomery County is estimated to initiate on September 19, 2017 and terminate on September 20, 2017. Spraying will occur dusk to dawn to minimize impact on non-target species, including bees.

REMINDER—FIRST RESPONDERS DAY CEREMONIES, SEPTEMBER 11, 2017

The Woodlands Township will be hosting two ceremonies on September 11, 2017, to commemorate a day of remembrance and reverence in the community. The day will be proclaimed as Patriot Day of Remembrance and First Responders Day in The Woodlands.

The Woodlands Township Board of Directors Secretary Laura Fillault worked with Township staff to organize two ceremonies to honor the occasion. A small, solemn event for the September 11 Patriot Day of Remembrance will occur at The Woodlands Fire Department Central Station, located at 9951 Grogan’s Mill Road at 7:30 a.m. The second event will be in honor of First Responders Day, and take place at Town Green Park, 2099 Lake Robbins Drive at 5:30 p.m.

With the federal government establishing September 11 as Patriot Day and National Day of Remembrance, and the Texas Government Code 662.050 proclaiming September 11 as Texas First Responders Day, these ceremonies help to officially acknowledge this day in The Woodlands. A proclamation will be read at each ceremony by The Woodlands Township Chairman of the Board of Directors Gordy Bunch.