WINK News accompanies Lee County as debris removal from Hurricane Ian continues

Lee County

WINK News has been cleared to accompany the crew to Lee County to clean up the mess left by Hurricane Ian.

The site has already processed 3,000,000 cubic yards of debris. And it’s not just from Lee County, the surrounding cities contribute a significant amount to the pile.

Barry Lund, CrowderGulf’s project manager, told WINK News about the progress of the process.

“We’re grinding the mulch, and we’re getting the mulch out as fast as we can carry it out,” says Lund.

CrowderGulf has contracted with Lee County to take back construction debris, plants and appliances. From there, take it to the rubble removal site and dispose of it.

“This site consists of three projects. This is Bonita Springs on my left,” said Lund. “This is Lee County. Most of the people coming out of Lee County came from county roads in the area, and they all came out of Bonita Springs Beach there.”

CrowderGulf asks you to split everything into separate piles. Because different piles represent different needs.

Piles of vegetation end up in piles of mulch and are taken to a nearby landfill, while construction debris piles up high on the site’s piles.

Barton Holmes, another CrowderGulf project manager, knows what they’re doing is a long process.

“They probably see our lorries driving up and down the road,” said Holmes. “But hopefully this only gives some perspective in terms of the larger scale of the operation.”

Holmes asks everyone to be patient for the time being, as it is more than just a job for those working to clean up the mess.

“Your life is now piled up on the street. It’s an emotional wound,” said Lund. “It won’t go away until you lift the debris off the ground and somehow start to heal.”

CrowderGulf explained to WINK News that he will continue to do what needs to be done until the job is done.