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A fallen tree blocks the path in Hampton Park as residents walk their pets during Hurricane Ian Friday Sept. 30, 2022, in Charleston. Gavin McIntyre/Staff

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Charleston area officials said it could take weeks before all Ian-related damage assessments are complete.

And although crews are traveling through neighborhoods, knocking on doors and searching for badly hit areas, they are counting on residents to take the initiative and report damage to their respective municipalities.

Some municipalities, including the city of Charleston, have turned its attention to debris pickup. It will halt bulk trash pickup for two weeks. This includes household appliances, construction debris and similar items.

Hurricane Ian left behind a lot of vegetative debris in some areas, so city crews will focus on collecting those items, in addition to residential garbage, which will be picked up beginning Oct. 3.

By the morning of Oct. 2, municipalities had cleaned up much of the leftover debris, reopened pump stations and resumed normal operations. 

All roads that closed in Charleston because of storm-related issued had reopened and traffic signals restored.

Charleston officials said street sweeping efforts will continue daily until all residual mud is removed from roadways and sidewalks that flooded. Crews there and in neighboring North Charleston continue to provide windshield surveys and are turning to residents for additional damage reports.

In Folly Beach, only minor damage to structures and a few downed trees have been reported. The primary impact from Ian was flooding on street and private property, said Eric Lutz, the city's director of building, facilities and public works.

"We will continue evaluating sand loss and damage reports, but overall, mostly ground water, flooding and beach erosion were out big issues," Lutz said.

Following is a list of guidelines for garbage pickup and reporting damage to municipalities that responded this weekend:

Berkeley County

Storm damage can be reported on the county's website (berkeleycountysc.gov). Those without internet access can leave a message on the call line at 843-719-4800. It will remain open through the morning of Oct. 3 for non-emergency calls only.

The landfill and convenience centers in Berkeley County reopened Oct. 1.

Charleston County

The county is continuing to assess damage. Residents can call 800-451-1954 to report damage to homes or property.

Although most roads are clear, people should still be mindful while driving. Limbs and trees could still be down in some areas.

City of Charleston

Residents should report damage online at www.charleston-sc.gov/report-damage or call 843-724-7311. Hundreds of reports have been submitted online.

Residential garbage pickups will resume Oct. 3 on a normal schedule, but bulk trash collection will be suspended until Oct. 17. Any garbage that was not picked up on Johns Island on Sept. 30 will be collected Oct. 3.

Debris should be sorted based on the C.A.T. categories when placed on the curb for pickup:

  • C - Construction debris (building materials, drywall, lumber, carpet, furniture)
  • A - Appliances (refrigerators, washers/dryers, freezers, air conditioners, stoves)
  • T- Trees and vegetation (tree branches, leaves and logs)

A disaster recovery checklist for businesses can be found on the city's website, along with other resources.

Dorchester County

Major roads in Dorchester County that had been blocked by flood waters or downed trees have reopened. Taking stock of damage, the county asked residents whose homes experienced damage to report it at dorchestercountysc.gov, said public information officer Michelle Mills.

Most county convenience sites reopened Oct. 1.

Residents should contact their trash service for vegetative pickup or take it to the county's convenience sites.

Damage reports

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control wants coastal residents to report damage to beachfront structures, including seawalls, revetments and dune walkovers through MyCoast: South Carolina, an online portal the agency uses to collect and analyze pictures and data about coastal events.

Submitted reports can help DHEC efficiently analyze post-storm beach conditions and expedite recovery activities, including permitting and other regulatory decisions.

Structural damage not near the coast can be reported on the S.C. Emergency Management Division's mobile app, SC Emergency Manager.

Folly Beach

Trash and debris collection is running on its normal schedule . Tree limbs that are 4 feet or less can be stacked adjacent to the property that produced them.

North Charleston

Garbage pickups will restart Oct. 3.

City employees are conducting windshield surveys and evaluating damage across the area. But since it is tough to see everything, North Charleston officials want residents to go to northcharleston.org/damage to complete an online self-assessment.

Town of Kiawah Island

Residents can expect yard debris to be picked up on Oct. 6. Go to kiawahisland.org/services/garbage-collection/ for information about the town's solid waste calendar.

Property damage should be reported to Bruce Spicher, Kiawah Island's building official, at bspicher@kiawahisland.org.

Hurricane Wire is a pop-up newsletter during hurricane season that delivers anyone who lives on the East Coast all the information they need to know as storms brew in the Atlantic and beyond.


Follow Shamira McCray on Twitter @ShamiraTweets.

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