Storm debris pick-up continues in Riverhead

Riverhead Highway Department crews continue to pick up debris from Tropical Storm Isaias, Highway Superintendent George Woodson said this morning.

Riverhead Town announced on Aug. 6 — two days after the storm downed trees, limbs and power lines across town — that the highway department would conduct a one-time, town wide emergency pickup of storm debris, to assist residents clean up their properties.

Crews spent two weeks in Wading River, which was especially hard hit by Isaias, Woodson said. And while that was longer than first anticipated it would have taken town crews even longer had it not been for the assistance of an emergency crew provided by the County of Suffolk. Woodson said he requested assistance and the county assigned a crew to pick up debris in Wading River for four days.

Last week, town highway trucks moved into Calverton and the western half of Riverhead. This week, they are working in the eastern portions of town, from just west of County Road 105 to the town line.

“If all goes well, I’m hoping to be done by the end of the week,” Woodson said this morning.

Crews are bringing everything to the town’s debris yard on Youngs Avenue, Woodson said. Debris is being stockpiled there for grinding, which Woodson said will be done by an outside contractor.

As of this morning, the debris pile was about 200 feet by 80 feet, piled 12 to 20 feet high.

Woodson estimates the cost of the operation will run between $300,000 and $400,000 before all is said and done. Woodson said he’s basing that estimate on the cost of one town-wide leaf pickup, which takes his crews three weeks to complete and costs $300,000.

Woodson said he has been told by town officials the cost of the storm pickup will be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“We are documenting every load, taking pictures of every truck,” to be prepared to make the claim to FEMA, the highway chief said.