Tampa Bay residents used thousands of sandbags to help prevent flooding during Hurricane Idalia, but now that the storm has passed, what happens to them?
Sandbags that have been exposed to floodwater should be thrown out, said Mikah Collins, program coordinator with Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation.
LIVE BLOG: Updates on the storm and aftermath
Floodwater can contain hazardous materials, including waste and dangerous chemicals, so residents should also be careful when handling contaminated sandbags.
While some counties will pick up sandbags placed next to curbside trash, others ask residents to drop them off at solid waste facilities.
For residents whose homes were spared from flooding, Collins encourages they keep unused sandbags for future storms this hurricane season.
It's important to store these bags in dry, dark places such as a garage, he said.
"The important thing to keep in mind is the material used in these sandbags is biodegradable and the number one thing that's going to deteriorate them the quickest is the sun," said Collins.
Residents who don't want to keep the sandbags can open them up and sprinkle the sand in their yard and then throw the bag in the trash.
