PLUMMER, Idaho. – At 5 a.m. Kim West woke up to the sound of her tin roof being blown away.
“We have a tin roof, so it was quite loud,” West recalled. “Trees started dropping and you could hear them, but we still couldn’t go out and see the damage.”
The sunrise revealed at least 20 felled trees.
“We saw the trees had smushed our utility trailer and pickup truck,” West said.
As of Friday afternoon, power is still out, an insurance adjustor has been called, and cleanup has started.
“We’re kind of going slow on what to remove or leave right now,” West said.
And even with half of their tin roof missing, West explained, “It could have been a lot worse. I’m certainly thankful that it wasn’t.”
Across the region, trees blown into yards and into homes, power poles bent, and bushes strewn.
For many, this weekend is the time to break down the debris, whether it caused damage or not, and dispose of it.
At local Waste transfer facilities.
“Please cut it up into lengths less than six feet and no more than three inches in diameter,” said Lindsay Chapmin from Spokane County Solid Waste.
And if tree debris is larger than six feet by three inches, consider alternative options.
“I would suggest either calling a yard debris company or finding someone with a chainsaw who can help break that material up into smaller pieces,” Chapmin said.
And once the yard debris fits the parameters, users of the facility also have to pay a fine: $11 minimum and $66 dollars per ton.
“So if you are bringing in half a ton, you are paying $33 for that load,” Chapmin said.
Due to the potential extra demand on waste transfer facilities, Chapmin recommends “just bring your patience.”
According to Chapmin, it usually takes about 30 minutes to unload people’s vehicles.
And for those, like the Wests, who are waiting to remove all the debris, local Waste Transfer facility hours, fees, and specifications, are available online.
