The Woodlands Township continues work with residents after Harvey

THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS (Thursday, September 7, 2017, 4 p.m.) - The Woodlands Township continues to aid and work with partners in order to help residents in the hardest hit areas of The Woodlands. Montgomery and Harris Counties will also assist residents with debris removal. FEMA contractors for debris removal have initiated operations in both Montgomery and Harris Counties.
 
Important Information for Residents of Creekside Park
Harris County FEMA contractors are collecting storm debris in unincorporated areas which include The Woodlands residences in the Village of Creekside Park. While this service started in Harris County on September 4, 2017, the schedule for Creekside Park has not been announced. Harris County officials said they expect to make multiple passes through neighborhoods over time. The Township is in the process of developing a debris/dropoff site in Creekside Park on the west side of Kuykendahl.
 
A special hotline has been established for information and to document your residence:
 
713-274-3880 for Harris County debris removal
 
To address safety issues, The Woodlands Township, through a contract with Waste Management, will begin debris collection in the majorly impacted areas of the Village of Creekside Park on Friday, September 8, 2017, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.  The Township-contracted debris removal will commence near the streets of Sundown Ridge and Corbel Point Way using two large-scale grapple trucks. Click here for more details.
 
Montgomery County officials approve storm debris removal contracts
Montgomery County started debris removal on Sunday, September 3, 2017. For more information, go to the Montgomery County website at http://mctxoem.org/. At this page, you can find a link for Debris Pickup.

Debris pick up has begun, Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management asks that if you have debris due to Hurricane Harvey to register under debris pickup & damage report www.mctxoem.org.
 
If you received damage to your home or property, and haven’t done so already, register with FEMA at Disasterassistance.gov or 1-800-621-3362. If you have any questions, concerns or need assistance in registering with FEMA or debris pickup & damage reports, call 936-523-3916.
 
TRASH AND DEBRIS
Waste Management curbside trash and yard waste service has resumed normal schedule for yard waste and trash, including pickup on Monday (Labor Day). Please Note: NO curbside recycling services through the week of September 4, 2017, due to manpower shortages. The Recycling Center on Research Forest is also closed through the week. 
 
NEW INFO: Curbside recycling service will resume starting Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. The Recycling Center at 5402 Research Forest Drive will re-open starting Wednesday, Sept. 13. Hours are Wednesdays, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
 
Simple Recycling for curbside textile recycling is now servicing all routes in The Woodlands on their normal trash pickup day.
 
The Precinct 3 Recycling Center , 1122 Pruitt Road, is now open. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed daily 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Debris Drop-off Center, located adjacent to it, is open Sunday to Sunday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice. The center is accepting drop-off debris. Please separate electronics, refrigerators and paint from other household debris.
 
FEMA
The Township has received notice of the President’s FEMA Declaration for Montgomery and Harris Counties.  This declaration will allow county governments to initiate debris removal programs and provide reimbursement of certain emergency expenses incurred by local government during the emergency and will allow individuals to start filing for emergency assistance.  
 
Apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.  Constituents may call the registration phone number at 1-800-621-3362; those who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. For Harris County clean-up assistance, contact CrisisCleanup.org, visit HarrisRecovery.org, or call 1-800-451-1954 to report your need.
 
Beware of Rumors, Misinformation, and Fraud
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is raising awareness that Hurricane Harvey disaster survivors, and their friends and family, must be alert for false rumors, scams, identity theft, and fraud. Although many Americans are working hard to help their neighbors now, during chaotic times, some will always try to take advantage of the most vulnerable.

To dispel some of the false rumors circulating on the internet and social media, FEMA created a dedicated website to address some of the most common themes. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Visit https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-harvey-rumor-control to get the most accurate information from trusted sources.
 
SHELTERS AND VOLUNTEERING
Shelter, volunteer and donation information is changing constantly. Please visit www.woodlandsinterfaith.org and www.mctxoem.org to learn more about shelters, donations and volunteer opportunities in The Woodlands. Interfaith will need volunteers throughout the coming weeks.
 
GENERAL TOWNSHIP UPDATES
Development Standards and Residential Design Review Committees are meeting on their usual schedules. Visit the Township Calendar for details.
 
Mosquitoes
Within a couple of weeks, mosquito populations are expected to increase, due to flooding and standing water in the area. Most of these mosquitoes are considered nuisance mosquitoes and will not spread viruses. Studies show that hurricanes and floods do not typically cause an increase in viruses spread by mosquitoes, like Zika or West Nile, however please take precautions to protect yourself and your family.
 
For additional information, please visit the Centers for Disease Control website, https://www.cdc.gov/zika/vector/mosquitoes-and-hurricanes.html
 
FIRST RESPONDERS DAY, SEPTEMBER 11
The Woodlands Township will be hosting two ceremonies on September 11, 2017, to commemorate a day of remembrance and reverence in the community. The day will be proclaimed as Patriot Day of Remembrance and First Responders Day in The Woodlands.
The Woodlands Township Board of Directors Secretary Laura Fillault worked with Township staff to organize two ceremonies to honor the occasion. A small, solemn event for the September 11 Patriot Day of Remembrance will occur at The Woodlands Fire Department Central Station, located at 9951 Grogan’s Mill Road at 7:30 a.m. The second event will be in honor of First Responders Day, and take place at Town Green Park, 2099 Lake Robbins Drive at 5:30 p.m.

With the federal government establishing September 11 as Patriot Day and National Day of Remembrance, and the Texas Government Code 662.050 proclaiming September 11 as Texas First Responders Day, these ceremonies help to officially acknowledge this day in The Woodlands. A proclamation will be read at each ceremony by The Woodlands Township Chairman of the Board of Directors Gordy Bunch.

MORE INFORMATION
For additional information, please visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov and follow the Harvey Recovery Updates. You can also keep up through the Township’s Facebook and Twitter channels.
 
Please visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/notifyme and make sure you are subscribed to “Talk of the Township” to continue receiving regular editions of the “Talk of the Township” newsletter in the future.