Fort Wright residents clearing downed trees and branches from the Aug. 11 derecho have a city-backed disposal plan: three community dumpster sites opening Aug. 14, plus free curbside pickup through Rumpke on regular collection days.
The city announced the cleanup program Aug. 13, two days after the storm knocked out power to roughly 22,000 Kentucky customers and forced road closures on Vidot Court, W. Crittenden and Battery Hooper Park.
Where to drop off debris
The three dumpster locations, open for a limited time starting Friday afternoon:
- South Hills Civic Club — 10 Bluegrass
- Volunteer Park — 35 Park Road
- Former Fort Wright Civic Club — 115 Kennedy
Only storm-related tree and yard debris is accepted: limbs, branches and leaves. The city warned that violators who dump tires, appliances, household trash or hazardous materials such as batteries, oil or paint face fines and disposal fees.
Free curbside pickup rules
Residents can also set bundled storm debris at the curb for Rumpke collection at no extra charge on their normal pickup day. The rules:
- Bundles must be cut to no more than 5 feet long and 18 inches in diameter
- Material must be tied securely
- Bundles go next to trash cans and must not block streets, sidewalks or storm drains
The city acknowledged that its three-person Public Works department is stretched thin. Fort Wright's announcement, authored by Nyoka Johnson, noted that a storm of this magnitude stretches the crew well beyond its capacity and asked for residents' patience.
Fort Mitchell also offering a dumpster
Neighboring Fort Mitchell placed a dumpster from Best Way Disposal at city hall, 2355 Dixie Highway near the Community Garden by Silver Avenue, the City of Fort Mitchell said on X on Aug. 13. That site is available for tree limbs from the storms. Fort Mitchell residents can call 859-331-1212 for details.
Safety warnings
Fort Wright urged residents to never approach or attempt to move a downed power line, noting that damaged wires should always be considered energized. The city also cautioned against using chainsaws or removing limbs entangled with power lines without professional help.
As we reported Wednesday, Duke Energy brought in crews from other states to assist with restoration after the derecho created more than 4,400 individual outage events.
Fort Wright residents with questions can call 859-331-1700 or email the city's administrative offices.
