Carter County expects to spend at least $400,000 to haul away water-logged drywall, furniture, carpeting and other debris from more than 200 homes and businesses impacted by flooding.
Commissioners have hired a disposal company to remove an estimated 11,000 cubic yards of debris -- the equivalent of more than 4,000 pickup loads of trash.
Dump trucks began visiting Carter County communities Tuesday, said presiding commissioner Donald Black. Officials expect it to take at least 20 days to collect all of the refuse.
"We ask all of the residents to put items in the county right of way. We can't go on private property," Black said.
The county is coordinating debris removal for residents outside the city of Van Buren.
Van Buren is handling its own disposal efforts, said Cater County Emergency Management Agency Director Curt Majors. City volunteers are taking debris to a designated site in hopes that federal dollars will be released for disposal, he said.
Getting rid of the trash left from April 29-May 1 flooding is one more step in a long road to recovery, according to Black, who is meeting this week with non-profit groups to discuss a plan for rebuilding.
Volunteer help and residents have already completed much of the hard work to tear out and remove flood-damaged materials, he explained.
"I'm really appreciative of all the residents of Carter County and the city of Van Buren," Black said.
Another community meeting is also scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday at the Van Buren Youth and Community Center. Regular meetings have been held to help residents stay in touch with the help that is available and ask questions.
Residents can also call him with any other questions or needs, said Black. He can be reached at 573-996-6479.
The debris collected by Carter County is being hauled to West Plains for disposal, said Majors. Dump fees were half the cost of those quoted by a Dexter landfill, he said. The county will pay $18 per cubic yard for transportation of the debris and additional costs to the dump site, he said.