Cape Coral woman says city won’t pick up debris from Hurricane Irma

It has been eight months since Hurricane Irma struck SWFL, but a woman in Cape Coral says she’s still dealing with all of the storm debris.

“I can’t even move this thing, you gotta see this, how huge this is…,” said resident Sherry Rogers. “I mean, I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do with that. I’ve had two back surgeries and an open heart surgery and it’s not going to get much better for me.”

Rogers says she’s done everything she can to get the city to pick up the hurricane debris in her yard, but to no avail.

“I’ve been putting out piles every week. They told me if I put them out in smaller piles they will come pick them up,” she said.

But Rogers says they want her to prove it isn’t just yard waste.

“I told them that it was from the hurricane, that the hurricane relief people were the ones that came and helped cut my trees down and helped get it all cut up and out here,” Rogers said.

Several trees in her yard off of SE 2nd Street had damage and had to be cut down or trimmed. But the city says they’ve already picked up hurricane debris from her address.

“FEMA came around the first time and did it but that was before any of the trees have been cut that were damaged,” Rogers explained.

City officials say the piles do not meet horticulture pickup requirements, and Rogers will have to call Waste Pro. Rogers adds that that will cost her more than $180.

“I don’t know what to do anymore…I can’t get help. I don’t know who to call and I can’t afford to call Waste Pro,” she said.

With hurricane season around the corner, Rogers is stumped about what to do next.

“I had a mess and I still have a mess and hurricane season is coming again and I’m still stuck with this,” she said.

The city of Cape Coral says they’ve given Rogers 30 more days to address the issue.