Hurricanes are one of the most devastating powers of nature. A hurricane takes a course and everything that is in its path will undoubtedly experience some kind of destruction. This ocean-water storm can destroy nearly everything that stands in its way including: roads and highway networks; houses and businesses; water and sewer systems; and electric and cable distribution systems to name a few.

The ravaging effects of hurricanes can cause severe damage that will leave an area filled with a huge debris field of trees, broken poles, collapsed building infrastructures and damaged cars. After the hurricane passes, extensive flooding that is caused by the storm surge frequently follows and inflicts damage as well, significantly clogging and blocking storm sewers which in turn interfere with the drainage systems of entire neighborhoods. This is where the unique capabilities of vacuum trucks come to the rescue.

Hurricane Katrina

After Katrina nearly wiped out the entire City of New Orleans, the U. S. Army organized emergency teams to clean the blocked catch basins. Compliance EnviroSystems (CES) was assigned to locate vacuum trucks which could clear as much debris as possible as well as clear the basins. This cleaning operation was performed after the flood had subsided. Eight vacuum trucks were deployed and the crews started clearing out the hardest-hit areas. These vehicles cleaned as many catch basins as quickly as possible and were able to help on some of the larger cleaning projects. The crews manually removed the rubble, vacuumed the mud that had collected in the basins and pressure-washed all involved areas.

Maintenance of Catch Basins

The high-performance, high-quality industrial vacuum trucks are the result of an intensive effort to streamline and promote different types of activities for these vehicles such as cleaning up catch basins from flood water. These trucks are a product line intended not only for the transportation of hazardous and toxic waste material but also for the removal and transportation of debris from sewage systems. Indeed, they have become powerful tools that provide the cleaning power and efficient work system that everyone can look to when hurricanes occur.

Catch basins are designed to trap debris so that it does not enter the drainage system. Cleaning these receptacles is part of the regular maintenance performed to be sure that they are properly functioning. This operation includes the removal of sediment, leaves, contaminants and other debris from such containment. By suction of the sediment from the catch basins, flooding problems within the drainage networks can be significantly reduced by preventing the build-up of contaminants.

Many municipalities perceive that they will have difficulty in acquiring vacuum trucks because of their expensive price tag and potentially high maintenance costs. Unfortunately, they do not realize that these vehicles are now available at a lower price and come with a higher quality that makes them overall more affordable.

The vacuum truck is a modern piece of equipment that can do an excellent job of clearing debris after a storm. To maintain a high level of productivity without the disruption of other recovery activities especially after hurricanes or extensive flooding, a fleet of vacuum trucks is necessary to do the job other equipment cannot handle. Manual labor would take half a day to clear out one catch basin; by using these vehicles, it only takes one hour. Productivity is rapid, efficient and very clean – what an advantage in the clean-up efforts after hurricanes!