Residents/Home Owners 

Please visit the Residents & Homeowners section of DEQ's Severe Weather Debris Management page for important information concerning debris management from Hurricane Helene.

For guidance on separating debris/waste for collection, please see the Separating Storm Debris Flyer.

For important information regarding conducting cleanup in or around streams, please refer to DEQ's best practices fact sheet. 

Localities and Facilities

Please visit the Localities or Facilities sections of DEQ's Severe Weather Debris Management page for important information concerning debris management from Hurricane Helene.

IMPORTANT: When planning and implementing debris removal operations, it is important to record the full operation from “cradle to grave.” FEMA and DEQ each have standards for documentation, debris placement and disposal. Please see the documents linked below to assist you in planning your debris operations to ensure they are compliant with state and federal environmental regulations.

• FEMA Debris Management Fact Sheet: General guidance and considerations related to debris operations as it relates FEMA Environmental and Historic Preservation (EHP) best practices and standards.
• FEMA Endangered Species Debris Form: Entities anticipating applying for FEMA reimbursement should utilize this form to document debris removal in forested areas, waterways or if tree removal occurs.
• US Army Corps of Engineers Post-Helene Guidance: Guidance provided by United States Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District Regulatory Branch on permitting work in water as well as contact information for regulatory contacts by community.

If you can't find information you are looking for, please visit the Virginia Department of Emergency Management's Hurricane Helene webpage. You may also submit a question at the bottom of this page.

Operators of wastewater treatment plants and collections systems, if your infrastructure has been impacted by Hurricane Helene, please be sure that your status has been reported to your DEQ Regional Office and to your local emergency management officials. This will ensure that they can put you in touch with resources, as needed.  

If you own a home with a heating oil tank and flooding caused an oil spill in or near your home, you should contact your nearest DEQ regional office to report the spill. DEQ can provide instructions for cleanup, and the Virginia Petroleum Storage Tank Fund may be available to provide reimbursement for cleanup costs related to the oil spill.

If you own a facility with above or underground petroleum storage tanks, and your tanks were affected by Hurricane Helene, please refer to DEQ's web page for release reporting and corrective action. If you have underground storage tanks that were subject to flooding, you should refer to EPA's Underground Storage Tank Flood Guide.

If you can't find information you are looking for, please visit the Virginia Department of Emergency Management's Hurricane Helene webpage. You may also submit a question at the bottom of this page.

There are options to manage livestock, poultry and other animal mortalities in non-disease scenarios, such as impacts caused by Hurricane Helene.

While DEQ recognizes that animal disposal options vary across the Commonwealth, an Animal Mortality Management Hierarchy has been established to formally recognize DEQ’s ordered preference of mortality management options across Virginia. For further information, please refer to DEQ's web page for Emergency Animal Mortality Management for Non-Disease Scenarios.

If you can't find information you are looking for, please visit the Virginia Department of Emergency Management's Hurricane Helene webpage. You may also submit a question at the bottom of this page.