Curbside debris pickup after Hurricane Ian: Here's what to expect across Bay Area

Over the weekend, many residents across the Tampa Bay region began cleaning up their yards after the storm. Starting Monday, it will be a busy week for sanitation workers.

Just about every county in the area is scheduled to begin curbside garbage pick up Monday, but the rules for yard debris are a little different everywhere.

Some cities have made things really simple. Tampa and St. Pete for instance are asking residents to just have yard debris piled up curbside, with no need to bag or bundle.

Sarasota and Highlands counties' curbside storm debris pickup starts Monday as well. Hillsborough County begins its storm debris pick-up on Thursday, and it could take some time for trucks to reach homes because Hurricane Ian took down trees and branches across the area, so officials are trying to tackle the hardest-hit areas first.

RELATED: What to do with sandbags now that the storm has passed?

Hardee and DeSoto counties had not announced any updates on solid waste collection, as of Monday.

"It's a huge undertaking," said Travis Barnes from the Hillsborough County sustainable material management. "We are very fortunate that we did not see as much damage as you are seeing down south, but there is still a lot of debris down, we are waiting to get those damage assessments in, but it will take some time to get it all cleaned up." 

Other counties are asking residents with yard debris to either call for service or take yard waste to the landfill themselves. Just remember this is only for yard waste. Counties and cities are warning not to mix in construction or other bulk waste because they might not pick it up if you do

Larger debris should be collected by a professional service, like whole trees that require being chopped into smaller pieces. 

Visit the following links for more information on hurricane debris collection in Bay Area counties: