Hurricane Clean-UP

[redemption]

Thanks again for the info, in my case should I decide to go I have a group of 4 committed business associates that currently help me. I can tap on more people but the guys that I have in mind are good working SOB's I do have another friend that is leaving this Friday and he is completely self contained. He will be taking a trailer, 4 dump trucks and an 18 wheller with a 100 yard trailer for removals and a skid loader.

I am financially sound and able to absorb a loss, at this point the bottom line is will the chance be worth the rewards. From a humanitarian stand point the answer is yes but from a financial point of view the answer realistically is maybe. I am trying to get a feel for things, I might end up waiting until my friend is there and then hear from the horses mouth what they pay rates are.

He is already 60+ k in the whole as he invested on some equipment.

P.S.

I think the fact I mentioned college probably brings pictures of an 18 year old, I am far from it. My oldest son is 16

 

[Tree Machine]

from a financial point of view the answer realistically is maybe

Maybe at best. I think the guys who plan to go down for a week and make a killing, I don't think are gonna do so well, though maybe some will do OK.

I would stake my bets on the guy who prepares well, goes down there for at least two weeks with conviction and who solves problems well. Stuff will come up that never would have come up back at home. Ya just gotta be ready for anything, and that's really hard to do, going into the unknown. Have enough money to get yourself out of whatever you might get yourself into. Money can solve a lot of problems that come up. Lack of money will bottleneck any problem you have and leave you helpless.

You'll have an initial cashflow, flowing backwards (expenses) until you start knocking down jobs. By the time you hit break-even you could be there a few days, and to consider the trip profitable, you'll have to have more good days than bad, more income than expenses, more joy than agony. I hope everyone helps out to the best of their abilities and are rewarded acceptably. Are you going to help a person if they have no money? Some questions will have to be answered in the moment. You get to decide what form the rewards take.

 

[pantheraba]

Getting YOU recognition, however, could serve not only your efforts, but the entire industry.

We don’t need recognition...we just happen to be in the right place to get to respond...community here is jumping behind us to help out...through us they feel directly connected to the relief effort.

My first impulse would be to get a National Public Radio reporter to embed with you and your crew for the time you're down there. You would have to train a reporter to be a brush pilot.
What am I saying? That's crazy talk.

Yep, that is crazy...would be fun to give him a pair of gloves and say, “Pull this”, though.

Ask your local U-Haul if they'll donate a closed trailer for a week. If you have a vehicle that can tow it, you have your mess hall, cooking, seating, portable ability to aid those in need. This will carry all your supplies and provisions and be lockable. One 20 x 30 tarp and bungee cords and you have your covered area.

We have one enclosed trailer, working on another...your idea is good about U-Haul...will use that as backup if needed.

Pantheraba, you're going to places that have not yet been accessed. These were remote places to begin with, but being cut off from electricity and phone for what is now the 8th straight day. Put yourself in their mind; "Where are the rescue people?</i> Pantheraba, you and your team ARE the rescue people.

The roads are NOT cleared yet. The damage in the towns and cities is attracting the cleanup teams, but out in the bayous, in the deep which IS the deep south, those people who got slammed so violently a week ago Sunday, those folks haven't been reached yet. They are, as we speak, unaccounted for. The potential for the numbers killed 'out there' is said could reach into the thousands.

WHAT DO YOU NEED? Once you go in there, you could be completely out of touch with the rest of the world. WHAT DO YOU NEED? Whatever preparations we arrange for you has to happen most immediately. How many hours dive to central arkansas from the Atlanta area, how long to the Loisiana state line? Could we arrange a resupply mission in 4-5 days, someone you know who could drive fresh supplies and water in to you? How long do you think of working the mission (I know, a very difficult question to answer). Where do you feel you will start? What direction? And Tell Us What You Need.

I'd like to suggest you get an Alabama, Loisiana, Mississippi ATLAS AND GAZETEER. Navigation is key to not just blindly driving into whereverland.

When you leave town, you will have my home phone number, my wife's cell number and my cell number. In other words, I CAN BE REACHED. You can call me from now until the end of your mission. I'll file reports from you to the online community when you're away from the computer, and assist you in any way I can.

We will start in Picayune...we have a family expecting us...the head of the family is a builder and will direct us to people that can use us around his area. After a few days of work there we plan to move out into the more remote areas. We are self-contained, used to camping, most of our folks are Scouts...

Two of us have GPS that we can link to laptops for constant awareness of where we are.

Hard copy maps and compasses are a good for backup, though. Good tip on the Atlas...I am checking into the Atlas.

We expect to do road clearance and tree removal from houses to make them usable.

We have a Team Two that comes in a week after us to resupply and help out.

We are good for now. Team One is staging, orgainzing and loading the trailers tomorrow, plan to head out Friday AM for the supposed 7 hour drive. We are leaving early so we don’t violate the local curfew in Picayune...no one is allowed out after dark per our host.

 

[Tree Machine]

Here's a link to the City of Picayune, Mississippi's website, http://www.picayune.ms.us/ There is a link to the local newspaper off there for more focussed news of that local area. I would like the address of your Picayune host as soon as possible, and I'll monitor when UPS might be shipping stuff to that zone.


Here is a map of an area nearby area adjacent to New Orleans. They are still underwater. Here is a link to the Picayune newspaper. http://www.nola.com/hurricane/photos/ Click on the first image to get a detailed list of the recent photos of the area.

Here is an NOAA image over the New Orleans area. http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/images/katrina-new-orleans-la-4-08-31-2005.jpg. This map, although huge at 4 computer screens wide and 4 computer screens tall, gives excellent detail of the zone over Picayune. You can see downed trees and trees on houses and who has a roof and who doesn't. There are hundreds of thousands of trees damaged in your little area. The stench, you may want to think respiration masks. Note the toxic oil on the water. I encourage everybody to really spend a few minutes with this image. This one made it seem real-life to me as it takes you into their streets and driveways and back yards. this area is stil not currently accessible. By the time Pantheraba arrives down there, the body counts in and around New Orleans will be escalating, though in Picayune, Mississippi there have been no reported deaths.

For the people who stayed in these homes, once the water came gushing and completely submerged them, there was simply nowhere to go. Outside was not a good option. Inside, as bad, or worse. Trapped in their own homes. It's a solemn thought.

Treeguys will be marching into that as soon as the receding water lets them. It'll be hard to keep your saws out of the saltwater, your boots out of thick mud. You are at risk for any disease that's floating around, so DO BE CAREFUL. Avoid nicks and cuts at all expense! Safety should be double high priority one. A simple cut can take a guy out.

 

[Tree Machine]

Here's the greater Picayune area, and a streetmap. This is pretty much where the eye of the storm passed.

 

[TreeJunkie]

still inferior to the running bowline....imop

 

[BakerTREE]

Hey everyone -- this is my first post here at your wonderful site. (I've been perusing the articles at my infrequent leisure for the past several months.)
Just thought I'd actually raise my hand in the room so ya'll might know I'm around.

 

[darkstar]

i got to take care of my own ;;;;;here in town''''' ...many a tree man have left to go to the storm damage ,,,,,,, but .....there is so much work to be done here ...... 250 miles or more away ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and still storm damage ..... also there are refugees .5 mile from my house needing help ...... dark ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,god speed to those who go

 

[PTS]

Contacts

Monday morning the 12th we are hooking up with another company from Iowa and heading south. Our local contact may not be working out and we want to get together with other crews and start working. The more of us that are in one area the more resources we will have. It would be nice to know who is going and when, and who has what set up. It is time for a convoy. Otherwise I guess it will be a fly by the seat of our pants.

 

[treebob]

I need a crane truck asap. Can anyone tell me where a 100 to 125 foot is available?
thanks
treebob

 

[D]

you may try www.treetrader.com

 

[DDM]

Try http://www.sagontrucks.com

I Have bought 3 Trucks from them.

 

[D]

BTW- I am sorry, I got called to a CAT in Minnesota. So before the hurricane I have to do this. I wish you all luck.

 

[Tree Machine]

Hey everyone -- this is my first post here at your wonderful site. (I've been perusing the articles at my infrequent leisure for the past several months.)
Just thought I'd actually raise my hand in the room so ya'll might know I'm around.

C'mon you guys.... in the hustle of our hurricane event did we lose our manners in welcoming a noob?


Welcome to the site, BakerTREE!

 

[D]

Yeah, you are right, but I have been very focused when I get on here. Don't have a ton of time to do anything. This is a good thread so I was trying to stay on task as much as possible.
Welcome BakerTREE.

 

[Tree Machine]

Darin, you just do what you gotta do. We very much apreciate you staying in touch amidst you long-distance juggle. We will want reports once you get embedded down on the coast. Good luck to you.

 

[Hardy Landscape]

Hi,

I own a landscape and vegetation management company locate in Clinton, MS. This is about 3 hours north of ground zero and about 2 hours north of Hattiesburg, MS. Right now we are staying busy cleaning up this area, but I am planning on sending a crew south pretty soon. Not sure what equipment I will be carrying, but I live close enough move it in as needed. I know I will have a ASV RC100 with a grapple bucket, truck and saws. I'm not sure how much chipping will actually be need. Around here they are starting to haul bulk debris landfills where they have large tub grinders setup. If anybody needs to get in touch they can call either my office 601-924-9091 or cell 601-672-2290


Jay Hardy
Hardy Landscape Management, Inc.

 

[Tree Machine]

Hey Jay, Welcome to Arboristsite.

Thank you for stepping and saying hi. I mapped you out so we know right where you're at. You were right in the midst of the storm, of course not the intense side of the storm and not as forceful as it was on the coast, but unquestionably you guys had your socks rocked off.

Your offering up your phone number is very big of you. We'll be having guys from the north coming down and it so very much helps for them to just have a number of someone local to check in with. We really appreciate your contribution.

 

[sharpstikman]

welcome, BAKERTREE,HARDY LANDSCAPE, as you can see we are all trying to help with this cleanup,I cant go there but am helping organize cleanup supplies here.my church is putting buckets with cleaning supplies together.to all going ,be safe and god bless .

 

[treebob]

hauling rate

Can anyone tell me what the going rate for hauling debris is per cubic yard?

Thanks

Treebob