Clean-up in the wake of the storm: answers to your questions

As Burlington continues to deal with the ongoing impact of a severe thunderstorm on Saturday, I’ve received a number of questions from residents and have compiled a list of answers to help everyone with clean up efforts.As of 8:30am this morning, about 1000 customers in Burlington remained without power. We know this is very difficult, and crews are working as quickly as they can to resolve the damage and restore power. We thank all our emergency crews for their efforts throughout the holiday long weekend.There have been no reported injuries in Burlington. There has been significant property damage in some areas to homes, cars, fences and more.Across Ontario, five people have died. Our hearts go out to their family, friends and entire community. Thousands across our province remain without power.All agencies are working as quickly as possible to deal with the aftermath of the storm.There are three agencies in Burlington involved in post storm clean up and restoration efforts:

POWER RESTORATION

Burlington Hydro: Responsible for restoring power and making safe downed power lines. As of 8:30am this morning, approximately 1000 customers in Burlington remained without power. You can check what is happening in your area by visiting the Burlington Hydro outage map. Click on the hard hat to see work in your area, and for estimated time for restoration of power.Please note the outage map is over estimating the count of customers without power. Burlington Hydro is working to correct this issue as quickly as possible.For power outages and downed power lines please contact Burlington Hydro directly at 1.877.310.4937

TREE REMOVAL

City of Burlington: Responsible for clearing fallen trees and branches from public trees on city streets, sidewalks and parks. To report downed trees on city property, or city trees that have fallen on private property please contact Service Burlington at city@burlington.ca or call 905.335.7777Please note: There will be an emergency road closure on Delaware Ave and New Street May 23 between 8am and 4pm to remove a fallen tree.The forestry department has received over 200 calls related to the storm event as of last evening. A total of three crews were operational Sunday, and six forestry crews (combined in-house and contracted) are operational on holiday Monday to address service requests received through the City’s call centre. Forestry inspectors will continue to triage service requests and inspect damaged trees for residual risk and priority response.All tree related road closures have been resolved.Cleanup of trees/branches on private property are the responsibility of the homeowner. If you need assistance, please contact a local tree service.Small bundles of branches can be put out with Halton Region yard waste program, per below.

TREE BRANCH DISPOSAL

Halton Region: Responsible for collecting food waste, yard waste, including tree branches, as well as bulk waste. You can contact the Region directly with any questions about waste disposal by calling 311 or emailing accesshalton@halton.caAdditional details about waste disposal are in the Frequently Asked Questions below.YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED:For the City of Burlington

1. Where should I report a tree down? Please report trees down, and the street address or intersection, to Service Burlington at city@burlington.ca or call 905.335.7777. It is best to report urgent concerns by phone, as the service advisor will triage the inquiry and ask the necessary questions so our city crews can prioritize inquiries as appropriate.
2. If a city tree has fallen on my car or house, will the city pay for it? Property owners should coordinate all repairs/claims through their own insurance. Their insurance advisor will follow-up with the city’s claims adjuster if they believe that is warranted. Claims information can be found here: Submit a Claim
3. Will the city collect/mulch large tree branches that are left at the sidewalk that are too large for Halton Region yard waste pickup? Tree limbs that exceed the diameter limits set by Halton Region (see further information below) will be collected by the city as long as the limbs/trunks are stripped of smaller branches which can be bundled and picked up by the region. Pick ups will be scheduled on a call-in basis through Service Burlington at city@burlington.ca or 905.335.7777.

For Halton Region:

1. What do I do about excess food waste? Any excess food waste can be placed in a biodegradable bag and placed out with your current green cart. A reminder that due to the holiday weekend, pickups are moved by one day. Pickups normally scheduled for Monday are moved to Tuesday, May 24. Pickups normally scheduled for Thursday are moved to Friday, May 27. Areas B and D in the city will receive yard waste, garbage and bulk pickup this week, in addition to green bin and recycling pickup; areas A and C will receive green bin and recycling pickup only. To check the schedule for your area visit Halton Online Waste Collection Schedule
2. How do I dispose of trees branches/tree trunks from a private tree? Place waste out on your normal yard waste and garbage collection days. Tree debris and brush should be tied in bundles no larger thank 2m by 1m (6ft by 3ft) with branches a maximum of 7.5 cm (3 inches) in diameter.
3. How do I dispose of broken fences? Wood waste from fencing or other wood structures damaged in the storm should be dismantled, bundled and tied no larger than 1.7m by 1 m (5ft by 3ft).
4. Is the Region planning any special pickups of debris that doesn’t fit into the current requirements above? The Region will consult with service providers this week to determine what, if any, additional services might be available.

NOTE: Halton Region has released their own set of FAQs related to storm clean-up which can be found here: Halton Region Storm FAQs

For Burlington Hydro:

1. My power is still out. When will it come back on? You can check what is happening in your area by visiting the Burlington Hydro outage map. Click on the hard hat to see work in your area, and for estimated time for restoration of power. You can also contact Burlington Hydro directly at 1.877.310.4937.