Homes at the Beaches do not have basements to flood. They have yards, garages, lanais and fences that sit in the path of whatever comes off the Atlantic. Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, and a tropical storm or a strong nor'easter can leave a mess without ever making the national news.
This guide has two halves: what to clear before a storm, and what to do with the debris after one.
Before the storm: clear what can fly
Anything loose in a yard can become a projectile in high wind. The best time to deal with it is on a calm week, not the day before landfall. Walk the property and look for:
- Broken patio furniture, umbrellas and old grills
- A shed that is already leaning or missing panels
- Loose or rotted fence sections
- A trampoline or playset nobody uses
- Stacked lumber, pavers and leftover project material
- Dead palm fronds and brush piles
- Old appliances, tires and scrap along the side of the house
If it is junk, get it gone. If it is worth keeping, bring it inside or tie it down.
Two more things help:
- Clear the garage enough to use it. In a storm the garage is where the car, the patio set and the grill need to go. If it is full, see garage cleanouts.
- Do not leave a pile at the curb. A debris pile sitting out when a storm arrives becomes part of the storm. If a pickup is not certain to happen in time, keep it secured or have it hauled.
A failing shed or fence is easier to take down on purpose than to collect from the neighbor's yard. See shed and fence removal and our guide to shed removal in Jacksonville Beach.
One honest note: the days right before a forecast storm are the busiest and least predictable for any hauler. Do not count on a last-minute slot. If something in your yard worries you, deal with it early in the season.
After the storm: safety first
Before you move anything:
- Stay away from downed lines. Treat every downed line as live and report it to your utility.
- Leave hanging limbs alone. A limb that is hung up in a tree, resting on a roof or touching a wire is a job for a licensed tree service, not for a homeowner and not for a junk hauler.
- Take photos first. If you are filing an insurance claim, photograph the damage before anything is moved, and ask your insurer what they need you to keep.
- Watch your footing. Storm piles hide nails, glass and sharp metal.
What storm debris we haul
Our storm debris removal service covers what is already on the ground:
- Palm fronds, limbs, branches and brush
- Fence panels and posts
- Pieces of sheds, playsets and pergolas
- Screen enclosure frames and torn screen
- Damaged patio furniture, grills and outdoor gear
- Soaked carpet, pad, furniture and mattresses that are already out of the house
- Drywall, trim and flooring that a contractor has already removed
Routine brush and landscaping debris falls under yard waste removal. If a remodel follows the storm, see construction debris removal.
What we do not do
It is better to say this plainly than to have you waiting on the wrong company.
- We do not cut down standing trees or remove limbs from a roof.
- We do not do roof repairs or tarping.
- We do not do water extraction, drying or mold remediation.
- We do not haul hazardous materials such as fuel, wet paint, pool chemicals, propane tanks or asbestos.
We are a hauling crew. Once the tree service, the roofer or the restoration company has done its part, we take the pile.
City pickup or a hauler?
After a significant storm, cities and counties often run their own debris collection. How it works, what they accept, how it has to be sorted and when the trucks come all vary by storm and by municipality, so we are not going to state it here. Check with the City of Jacksonville Beach, your own city if you live in Neptune Beach or Atlantic Beach, or St. Johns County if you are in Ponte Vedra or Nocatee. If you live in an HOA, ask the association too, since some arrange their own cleanup or have rules about curbside piles.
Public pickup can be the right choice if you can wait and the pile fits their rules. A hauler makes sense when:
- You want the debris gone on your schedule and not on a waiting list
- The pile is in a backyard and cannot easily get to the curb
- The load is mixed, with fencing, furniture and brush together
- A rental or a home for sale needs to be presentable again
- Your HOA wants the driveway and curb cleared
How it works and what it costs
- Call or send photos of the pile and the path to it.
- We come out for a free on-site estimate.
- You get a flat price before anything is loaded.
- We load from wherever the debris sits, including behind a fence.
- We sort the load. Metal gets recycled, and the rest goes to licensed facilities.
Every job starts at our $150 minimum, and the price goes up with volume and labor. Heavy, wet material and long carries from a backyard add labor, and the quote reflects that up front. More on how our pricing works.
After a major storm every hauler in the region is busy. We will not promise same-day service in that situation. We will tell you honestly when we can get to you.
Where we work
Haul Aboard is a new, licensed and insured junk removal company serving Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra and Nocatee.
Call (904) 404-6264 for a free on-site estimate, or send us photos and your details. If you are clearing the yard ahead of the season, a calm week is the right time to call.