Many in Ascension Parish are still waiting for debris from Hurricane Ida to be removed; Parish finalizing debris removal

ASCENSION PARISH. (WAFB) - When Hurricane Ida blew through southeast Louisiana seven weeks ago, it left big tree trunks and countless limbs on the ground.

“I had a big chicken coop in the back and a tree cut it right in half, fell down, and killed three of my chickens, and I mean it was a nice pretty shed,” Darren Poche of Prairieville said.

Debris is still piled up in some areas, like Carpenter’s Chapel Road in Prairieville.

“Well, it is a little disheartening. I wish they would hurry and come pick it up. I can’t cut my yard with that still laying in the yard,” Poche said.

He said even though his fallen tree branches have been picked up, he’s still waiting on home debris collection.

“There was one pile right here where they picked up the limbs and then the other pile right here from a shed that I had that was destroyed by a tree it’s still here and it’s been here for six weeks,” Poche said.

But many people in this neighborhood still wait on piles of vegetative debris to be picked up.

Officials with the Ascension Parish Government have announced that DRC Emergency Services, the contractor engaged to remove storm debris, is finalizing plans to complete operations on Sunday, October 31.

Officials are asking residents who still have debris remaining to register it for removal by Monday, October 25. Registration can be in one of two ways: on the Parish website, www.ascensionparish.net, or by calling the Citizens Service Center at 225-450-1200 during normal business hours.

Residents have the remainder of this week and the weekend to put their storm debris on the right-of-way for removal. After 5 p.m. on October 25 the website will be closed. Residents are still being asked to separate vegetation debris - such as branches, limbs, twigs, and leaves - from construction and demolition debris, and place them in the road and street rights-of-way for pick up. Debris crews cannot go onto private property to retrieve debris.

Ascension Parish government officials say the reason it’s taking so long to clean up some areas is that the storm caused so much damage.

“I would like to say thank you for picking up what you did pick up but please hurry and come pick up the rest,” Poche said.

While residents try to move on from the hurricane, they hope debris collections come to help them pick up the pieces that remain.

Ascension Parish is trying to keep track of debris.

You can log where you see areas needing storm clean-up by clicking here.

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