In this article:
- Air Curtain Incinerators for hurricane clean-up
- Air Curtain Incinerators for clean-up after tornadoes
- Air Curtain Incinerators after ice storms
- How Air Curtain Incinerators save money and aid in recovery
Natural disasters are becoming increasingly common and intense. Keeping up with the necessary clean-up work can be extremely difficult as communities find themselves buried in debris. Air Curtain Incinerators have been used to clean up numerous disasters, saving communities time and money. Air curtain incinerators can be used after almost any disaster since debris and destruction is always an unfortunate byproduct, but they may be needed the most after hurricanes, tornadoes, and ice storms.
Hurricanes
Large and intense hurricanes affect coastlines all around the country, but most commonly in the southeast in states such as Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Carolinas. In most cases, FEMA is in charge of debris pick-up and management. This comes at a large cost to tax payers, but this cost can be lessened. Let’s look at one example:
Hurricane Michael generated 117,000 dump truck loads of debris ( 6 piles the size of super Walmarts, but 360 feet tall!). More than $388,000,000 was paid to the FDOT for Hurricane Michael’s recovery. One report said FEMA spent $65 million just for the tree debris disposal costs in only 4 counties.
In the case of Hurricane Michael, in those four counties alone, an air curtain incinerator could have saved around $14,000,000 or more and kept 17,000 truckloads off of the road. Imagine those savings throughout all affected counties for the entirety of the project! Not to mention the reduction in traffic congestion, potential accidents, and frustration for local residents.
Tornadoes
Tornadoes often hit with little-to-no warning, leveling entire streets and neighborhoods- even large portions of cities- very quickly. To help speed up the recovery, air curtain burners can be brought in for the clean-up work. Vegetative debris from fallen or broken trees can all be collected and burned. Municipalities may even decide to bring in an air curtain incinerator themselves to reduce and eliminate the piles of debris being collected in the affected areas.
Ice Storms
After ice storms, branches can break off and entire trees can split. Hazardous limbs and mangled trees need to be removed, and leftover debris needs to be cleaned up. How does an air curtain burner provide a practical and cost-effective solution for the clean-up? After storms and disasters, air curtain burners can be brought in for the clean-up work. Vegetative debris from fallen or broken trees, which often snap beneath the heavy loads of ice and snow, can all be collected and burned in a cost-effective and safe way.
Air Curtain Incinerators and Large Scale Vegetative Debris Management
Air curtain destructors make all the difference after a natural disaster.
One reason they are such a good fit for communities that are in the middle of clean-up is that they can be set up quickly and are easily moved to other areas when needed. This means that the removal of the debris can begin right away.
Secondly, methods such as hauling and grinding present additional logistical challenges and expenses. Overcrowded landfills, tipping fees, trucking costs, and machine maintenance are just a few of these.
Many expect that grinding will mean less expense than hauling, but are surprised by the amount of maintenance they have on the machines, the delays incurred, and the overall debris volume that remains. Comparatively, one resource reports that air curtain incineration can reduce debris volume by up to 95 percent. The by-product is ash, which can be covered over or repurposed (See our article on How Ash Can Be Repurposed). Yes, air curtain burners are a fantastic solution for the massive question: what can we do with all of this debris?
For more interesting articles about ice storms, check out this interesting article about the 10 worst ice storms to hit in America.
PLEASE NOTE:
Due to harmful toxins and chemicals, burning construction debris and chemically treated wood, plastic, or rubber is often illegal due to its harmful effects on people and the environment.