Please limit travel as crews remove debris

Residents are being asked to stay off city streets today as clean-up crews are using heavy equipment to remove downed tree limbs and other debris from roadways.

Crews from the Biloxi Public Works Department are pushing downed tree limbs and other debris from major thoroughfares this morning while MDOT workers are clearing U.S. 90.

“Please limit your travel,” Biloxi Police Chief John Miller said. “Stay off the roads, especially Highway 90, which is mostly closed anyway. It’s just a dangerous situation with heavy equipment, workers and plenty of tree limbs and other debris in the roadways.”

Added Miller: “The very best thing you can do today, if possible, is focus on your own yard, and check on your elderly neighbors, make sure they are OK. And be patient.”

The city’s standby debris contractor, Crowder-Gulf, is this morning accessing the amount of debris and this afternoon will have a plan for its removal.

“Right now, we have Public Works crews pushing debris to the side of the road to allow emergency access,” said Christy LeBatard, the city’s director of Engineering who also oversees the debris removal contract.

“Crowder-Gulf, which has a history of helping us with debris, will be out shortly hauling the debris away,” LeBatard said. “Their initial focus will be debris from major thoroughfares. At this point, we’re looking to give people a week, this time next week, to have their debris to the curb for pickup.”

The city, using an approved FEMA contracting process, has Crowder-Gulf and a monitoring firm, True North, on standby for debris removal.

Zeta news & notes

Traffic signals: Police are asking residents to limit traffic to only essential business. Intersections with either destroyed or inoperative traffic signals should be treated as four-way stops.

Trash pickup: The Harrison County Utility Authority has announced that its Thursday routes will be suspended today to allow crews to clear roads and access damage. Thursday routes will run Friday, and Friday routes will run Saturday.

City info line: Non-emergency city facilities remain closed. Non-emertgency employees should report at their usual time Friday. To hear the updated message, call 228-435-6300.