Tropical Storm Debby drenched The Villages and left behind plenty of dirty debris.
Debby made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane early Monday morning near Steinhatchee in the Big Bend area on the Gulf Coast.
When Debby reached The Villages, she took her dear sweet time, dumping several inches of rain on Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.
The Villages District Government proactively closed golf courses and began running sprinkler systems to drain down ponds in anticipation of the heavy rainfall. The golf courses will remain closed Tuesday and will be re-evaluated on Wednesday.
Duke Energy reported that thousands of customers lost power along U.S. Hwy. 27/441 in and around the Historic Side of The Villages. The Lady Lake Library had to close due to a loss of power.
The Lake County Courthouse also lost power and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office announced that 911 services suffered intermittent outages.
Debby caused some problems, including a flooded tunnel under Buena Vista Boulevard. Tunnel B13 was passable, but had several inches of standing water Monday afternoon.
The Villages District Office has offered the following guidance to residents with regard to post-Debby debris cleanup:
- Storm debris such as shrubs, palm fronts, bushes, twigs, branches, and small cut limbs should be placed in piles, unbagged at least three feet from utility boxes, poles, fire hydrants, and other obstacles along the curbside.
- The District is not responsible for cutting, trimming, hauling, or moving trees and debris from private residential property.
- Household garbage shall be picked up during your normal residential collection based on the area in which you reside.
- No chemicals or hazardous waste will be collected curbside.
- Do not bring storm-related debris to recreation centers, postal stations, or other locations.
- Residents are responsible for contacting a local contractor for large debris removal, such as trees or trunks.
Share your photos from Debby at news@villages-news.com.
