Experience You Can Count On
The CrowderGulf team has extensive experience in all phases of disaster recovery and debris removal, as well as coastal restoration, often managing multiple contracts simultaneously in an efficient and effective manner. We have managed more than 485 disaster recovery projects in 15 states, encompassing all major natural disasters throughout the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. We have successfully removed, reduced and disposed of over 365 million cubic yards of debris.
Strength When It Matters Most
When you select CrowderGulf as your disaster debris management contractor, you are choosing to work with a highly experienced company that is uniquely qualified to put your community on the road to recovery following a disaster. Not only does CrowderGulf have a full-time team of expert disaster management professionals ready to mobilize at a moment’s notice, the company also has the resources and knowledge to swiftly assemble and deploy uniquely-trained, experienced extended project teams and specialized equipment necessary to meet any needs that arise in the aftermath of a disaster, whether expected or unforeseen.
• Never failed to complete all contract obligations and never defaulted on a contract.
• Committed to the same Project Management Team remaining with the project from start to finish.
• Large cadre of management personnel with extensive disaster debris training and experience.
• Completed major simultaneous debris projects after Hurricanes Michael, Florence, Irma, Harvey,
Matthew, Sandy, Isaac, Irene, Ike, Gustav, Dennis, Katrina, Rita, Wilma, Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne
and Isabel.
• Over 485 disaster recovery projects successfully completed.
• Successfully removed, reduced and disposed of over 365 million cubic yards of debris.
• Industry leader in waterway debris removal, including work after Hurricane Sandy & Deep Horizon Oil
Spill .
• Fully committed to using local citizens and qualified local subcontractors to the maximum extent, including
Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) owners.
• No lawsuits, liens or judgments by clients ever filed or pending and no bankruptcy proceedings filed or
pending.
• No lawsuits, liens or judgments by CrowderGulf to clients ever filed .
• Over 350 pieces of company-owned/leased equipment available for rapid response.
• Experienced in providing FEMA compliant documentation to every client. We provide unlimited support and
accurate documentation to help ensure that no clients are denied reimbursement.
CrowderGulf's extensive disaster recovery and debris management experience includes:
2020 Storm Responses
Numerous States Across the Gulf & East Coasts
Thirty named storms made 2020 a record breaking year and one that will go in the history books as one of the busiest storm seasons in CrowderGulf’s 51 year history.
The tornado season began in early March and April as CrowderGulf responded to the outbreak of catastrophic tornados that devastated Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The rapid response by the City of Nashville and CrowderGulf resulted in 35,000 cubic yards (CY) of debris being collected within 48 hours of the tornado’s touchdown, 100,000 CY collected and processed within 7 days, and 360,000 CY collected and processed within the first 21 days.
The tropical events early in the hurricane season were fairly routine with activations in multiple states supporting Tropical Storm Cristobal in Mississippi, Hurricane Hannah in Texas, and Hurricane Isaias in Virginia. On August 27, 2020, Hurricane Laura made landfall as a deadly and destructive Category 4 Hurricane along the Louisiana coastline. The storm caused the deaths of 33 people in Louisiana and produced damaged estimated at over $19 Billion.
Throughout the 2020 storm season, CrowderGulf responded to 9 major events (7 Tropical & 2 Tornadoes) that accounted for 34 activations across 7 different states (AL, FL, LA, MS, TN, TX & VA) at 51 Debris Management Sites (DMS). On the day Hurricane Laura made landfall CrowderGulf began to mobilize and assemble the largest debris removal operation in the company’s 51 year history.
Within hours of Laura’s landfall CrowderGulf personnel were assisting local municipalities and clients with damage assessments. While responding to Hurricanes Laura and Sally, from September 6 (Average Start Date of Hurricane Laura) to December 22, 2020 (Christmas Break), CrowderGulf removed 19.15 million CY of debris from the Right of Way (ROW) to a DMS. Over this 107 day period, CrowderGulf was hauling an average of 178,917 CY/day. The highest amount moved on one day was 331,853 CY on November 2020.
All combined in 2020, January 1 to December 31, the ROW hauling, reduction and haul out was approximately 44 million CY. This debris total was a record year for CrowderGulf and has never been achieved by any debris management firm.
Nashville, TN Tornado Response
March 2020
Nashville, TN
On Tuesday March 3, 2020, a deadly tornado tore through the City of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee. The EF 3 tornado touched down at approximately 12:49 am in the downtown area, with recorded wind speeds up to 165 mph. These destructive winds caused 48 structures to collapse from Germantown to Five Points. Unfortunately, the tornado continued on its destructive path into neighboring Putnam County as an EF 4 tornado. When the storm ended, the path of destruction was over 50 miles long and sadly 24 people had lost their lives.
Within hours of the tornado hitting the city, CrowderGulf’s Operations Director met with the City of Nashville’s key personnel to conduct damage assessments. Within 48 hours of the storm hitting the city, multiple debris management sites were operational with over 35,000 cubic yards of storm debris already removed from impacted neighborhoods.
The volunteer effort to assist the storm survivors was extraordinary. By the following weekend, the city had coordinated over 20,000 volunteers to help with the recovery efforts. These efforts resulted in over 100,000 cubic yards of debris being collected and processed within the first week of operations. Within the first three weeks of operation, the debris collection and processing effort had exceeded 360,000 cubic yards of storm debris. The coordinated effort between CrowderGulf and the City of Nashville Public Works Department made it possible to efficiently process the material at 4 debris management sites located strategically throughout the city.
Another aspect that made this recovery very unique is that the later part of the operation took place during the COVID-19 outbreak. CrowderGulf was honored to work with the City of Nashville to help them recover during these challenging times. Nashville Strong!
Hurricane Michael
October 2018
Florida Panhandle
Hurricane Michael plowed into the Florida Panhandle on October 10 as a major Hurricane. It is the first Category 5 storm on record to hit the Florida Panhandle. Tropical storm-force-winds extended more than 320 miles from the center, devastating the entire region. CrowderGulf holds many pre-event contracts within the area so our Director of Operations and Florida Regional Manager were on the ground doing damage assessment within 2 hours of the storms passing.
We immediately mobilized hauling units to begin right-of-way (ROW) debris operations. From October 12 to January 12, 2019, CrowderGulf has removed, processed, reduced and disposed of approximately 12.4 Million Cubic Yards of vegetative and construction/demolition debris at 26 Debris Management Sites and 13 Final Disposal Facilities. More than 83,000 hazardous trees have had falling hangers and leaners, to date and those limbs were cut to restore safe passage. Ongoing CrowderGulf operations in within the State of Florida will also include the removal of construction and demolition debris, white goods, e-waste, household hazardous waste (HHW), hazardous stumps, demolition of structures and Private Property Debris Removal (PPDR).
Hurricane Florence
September 2018
North Carolina
Hurricane Florence, a powerful and deadly Category 1 Hurricane took aim at the North Carolina coastline in September, 2018. This deadly hurricane claimed 55 lives as it swept across the state. Hurricane Florence brought devastating rainfall accumulations which caused flooding not only to the large stretch of coastline but also created widespread inland flooding. Many of the state's major rivers and tributaries reached record level height as 30+ inches of rainfall drenched the area and closed major interstates and roadways for weeks.
CrowderGulf was activated on 19 pre-event contracts across the state of North Carolina which involved the removal and reduction of over 2.1 million cubic yards of debris, the removal of approximately 50,000 leaners and hangers and the management and maintenance of 14 debris management sites. In addition, CrowderGulf provided sand and beach restoration to North Top Sail Beach and Bald Head Island.
While working in North Carolina, CrowderGulf experienced contract requirements which presented their own unique challenges. Damage assessments were hampered by non-reseeding floodwaters causing the closure of many roads and isolating communities. CrowderGulf assisted communities with damage assessment by providing drone flyovers into flooded areas and working with local officials to identify alternate debris management sites not affected by floodwaters.
The community of Bald Head Island had its own set of unique challenges. Bald Head Island is an island off the coast of North Carolina separated from the mainland by the Cape Fear River, accessible only by ferry boat. The challenge of this contract involved the access of equipment to the island and the means of disposal of storm generated debris. CrowderGulf worked with Bald Head Island to provide the debris collection and disposal services by setting up a debris reduction site on the island for the vegetative debris. At the vegetative debris site all material was reduced to mulch and then given back to the residents and local landscape businesses for residential use. CrowderGulf secured barges to transport the remaining materials, which included C&D and Household Hazardous Waste (HHW), across the Cape Fear River to final disposal sites. While contracts such as this one can present special challenges, so does the addition of another land falling hurricane.
Hurricanes Harvey & Irma
August/ September 2017
Texas & Florida
The 2017 Hurricane Season was extremely challenging as Hurricane Harvey caused extensive damage to the Texas Coast and two weeks later Hurricane Irma impacted the Florida Keys and stretched all the way to South and North Carolina. In Texas, CrowderGulf had 27 contracts activated and debris removal operations were in full swing. Then Hurricane Irma visited Florida, leaving behind great damage and devastation. As a result, CrowderGulfs resources had to be quickly expanded and adjusted to accommodate 64 clients in Florida. While the usual initial chaos and stress for everyone after a disaster were present, CrowderGulf focused on serving all affected clients in both states as quickly and efficiently as possible. As a result, all jobs were finished.
Hurricane Harvey
On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey, one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the United States since 2005, made landfall as a Category 4 Hurricane in Rockport, Texas. The maximum winds were 130 mph as it churned its way through Aransas County. Harvey destroyed 9,000 homes and damaged an additional 185,000 dwellings. CrowderGulf had 27 Texas County and Municipal contracts activated during this event and managed 25 Debris Management Sites (DMS), resulting in approximately 5 MILLION CUBIC YARDS of debris being removed from ROW or ROE.
Hurricane Irma
On September 10, 2017, Hurricane Irma made two landfalls in the State of Florida. CrowderGulf had 65 contract activations and managed 92 DMS in Florida while simultaneously managing 26 contract activations that occurred in August in the State of Texas, following Hurricane Harvey. Clean up included the removal of over 7 MILLION CUBIC YARDS of debris and resulting in costs of over 100 MILLION DOLLARS.
Past Activations
2016 Hurricane Hermine & Hurricane Matthew
2015 Severe Storms (Ice, Flood, & Tornadoes)
2014 Ice Storms Pax & Ulysses, Severe Storms (Flood & Tornadoes)
2012 Hurricane Sandy
2009 Marine Debris Removal, Texas & Louisiana
2008 Hurricanes Ike & Gustav, Texas, Louisiana
2007 Marine Debris Removal, Mississippi, Louisiana
2006 Ice Storm, New York
2005 Hurricanes, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida
2004 Hurricanes, Florida, Alabama
2003 Hurricane Isabel, North Carolina
2003 Ice Storm, Virginia, North Carolina
2002 Ice Storm, Kansas & Missouri
2001 Tropical Storm Allison, Texas
1999 Hurricane Floyd, North Carolina
1999 Floods, Guadalupe & Comal Rivers –Texas
1998 Hurricane Georges, Mississippi Gulf Coast
1996 Hurricane Fran, North Carolina
1995 Hurricane Opal, Florida Panhandle
1995 Hurricane Erin, Pensacola, Florida
1995 Ice Storm, Germantown, Tennessee
1994 Ice Storm, Memphis, Tennessee
1992 Hurricane Andrew, Florida & Mississippi
1991 Ice Storm, Birmingham, Alabama
1990 Hurricane Hugo, South Carolina
1983 Hurricane Alicia, Houston, TX
1979 Hurricane Frederick, Mobile, Alabama
1969 Hurricane Camille, Mississippi Gulf Coast