When an extreme weather event is about to strike, the last thing on your mind as a hazardous waste generator might be what to do with all of your waste. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to add hazardous waste management to your hurricane checklist.
In the days leading up to and the days after a hurricane lands, there’s going to be extended delays and travel restrictions, which makes it all the more important you know what to do in the meantime.
This article will help guide you through what to do with your hazardous waste before, during, and after a hurricane strikes.
Why Hazardous Waste Becomes More Dangerous During a Hurricane
For areas more prone to extreme weather events, hazardous waste generators face an even more challenging task: how to protect themselves, their business, and the environment from the dangers of hazardous waste.
One of the most obvious reasons why hazardous waste becomes more dangerous during a hurricane is the likelihood of containers becoming damaged. High winds, flooding, or objects crashing into your hazardous waste containers could cause leaks or spills.
Once multiple damaged containers are together, the risk of hazardous waste contamination increases. Depending on the type of waste, there is the possibility of explosions, fires, extreme heat generation, and the release of toxic gases or fumes.
Small and large hazardous waste generators also need to worry about the potential of hazardous waste leaking into the soil or waterways. Even a small amount of spilled waste causes a lot of damage (environmentally and financially).
An oftentimes overlooked detail is that emergency response is going to be delayed as well during a hurricane. Emergency response’s immediate priority is protecting and saving lives in imminent danger, so they might not make it out to your warehouse, construction site, or plant quickly enough to prevent hazardous waste damage.
But knowing and understanding the risks of hazardous waste during a hurricane allows your business to protect itself from environmental and financial damages.
What Typically Happens to Hazardous Waste When a Hurricane Hits
Thanks to modern technology, it’s unlikely that an area will be surprised by a sudden hurricane. Most of the time, weather experts let people know about a potential hurricane a week out and, within 72 hours, have a fairly good idea of the path the storm will take.
While not always 100% accurate, a hurricane won’t just pop up out of nowhere and hit your area.
With that information available, there are a few things you can do before, during, and after a hurricane to ensure your hazardous waste is safe and will not cause any unexpected damage.
Before Landfall
In the days before a hurricane reaches land, the focus for most hazardous waste facilities is safety.
Hazardous waste transporters, as well as storage/disposal facilities in affected areas, may suspend taking additional hazardous waste before storms hit to protect their staff and current infrastructure.
If there are flood risks, storm surges, or high winds, transfers may become unsafe and be paused until the storm passes.
Because of the pause, hazardous waste generators must make sure all waste on-site is secure. During Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, the Environmental Protection Agency recovered more than 1,500 displaced containers found floating in or washed up near waterways.
While not all of these contained hazardous waste, if even a few contaminated the water or soil, there would be serious consequences.
During the Storm
As soon as the storm hits, hazardous waste transportation and disposal effectively shut down. Roads are closed, and waste transport is halted until the storm clears. That means no pickups or emergency removals during a hurricane.
Known for their high winds, hurricanes can affect your hazardous waste containers. According to a 2024 study conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, documents revealed that “a hurricane storm surge could compromise the integrity of hazardous waste drums or flood indoor areas used to store waste piles.”
If there are long-term power outages, temperature-controlled containment areas may be compromised. This includes refrigerated units, heated units, and air-conditioned units. Some hazardous wastes are sensitive to temperature, so you need to keep that in mind when prepping for an incoming storm.
With disposal and transport shut down, the risk entirely falls on the hazardous waste generators to ensure nothing goes wrong during a hurricane.
After the Storm
Even after the storm ends, immediate transport and disposal might still be on hold due to driving conditions or closed access routes. Expect additional delays depending on the severity of the storm.
Because of those delays, once facilities reopen, there will often be a disposal backlog. The EPA may also need to go out and retrieve orphan containers that might involve hazardous waste.
The EPA coordinates with FEMA to ensure that hazardous waste is kept out of the environment, as well as air quality monitoring and additional waste removals.
As you might be able to tell, hurricanes disrupt almost every part of the hazardous waste disposal process, which means a lot of the stress falls onto the generators to ensure public safety and hazardous waste containment.
How Hazardous Waste Generators Should Plan for a Hurricane
Preparation is incredibly important for all hazardous waste generators, as an average hurricane season produces about 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. Rather than wait to see if a storm is about to hit, being proactive eliminates some of the hazardous waste containment dangers that come with a hurricane.
Before every hurricane season, take a few minutes to review what hazardous waste you have onsite, where it’s stored, and its risk profile. This includes documenting the locations of your hazardous waste and which ones are considered high-risk if exposed to flooding, wind damage, or broken containers.
Also, take a look around your facility to see if any of the hazardous waste containers are in a potential flood zone.
Once you have all of your information laid out, the next step is to plan what to do if there is a storm surge or flooding. Obviously, inspect your containers to ensure there are no leaks, and reinforce secondary containment in areas vulnerable to flooding.
If possible, elevate some of your containers or relocate them to more secure areas of your facility.
Ideally, you should have plans for hazardous waste pickup and disposal before hurricane season begins. Local authorities consistently note that facilities face surges in hazardous waste disposal requests just before storms.
Don’t forget to have your emergency contacts readily available in case of a hazardous waste spill or busted container.
RCRA and other applicable state and federal hazardous waste rules still apply, and keep your documentation updated, as inspectors may need additional information in case of a spill.
Common Mistakes Waste Generators Make During Hurricanes
Even the most prepared hazardous waste generators make mistakes when a hurricane is on the horizon, which is why HWH Environmental is here to help you before any extreme weather hits.
Waiting Too Long
One of the most common issues we see is that hazardous waste generators wait too long before prepping for an emergency weather event.
Remember, transports and disposal stations shut down days before the hurricane makes landfill which means you have even less time to get your hazardous waste taken care of.
Or in the case of some recent hurricanes, the path shifts quickly, thus affecting every stop of the hazardous waste disposal process in flux.
If you delay, you risk missing pickups, increased onsite inventory of hazardous waste, and greater exposure to flooding or wind damage.
Failing to Secure Waste
When generators leave waste in spaces where it’s vulnerable to floods or high winds, that’s usually a recipe for something bad to happen.
Storm surges and flooding overwhelm poorly designed hazardous waste areas, which leads to compromised containers or, at worst, spillage or mixing.
Secure your waste in a space that will be protected from the elements, whether you’re at risk of an extreme weather event or not.
Assuming Regulations are Flexible
Just because there is a hurricane, that doesn’t stop the EPA from enforcing regulations. There is always the possibility that an agency offers some weather-related discretion, but it’s always better to plan to prepare as if they won’t.
That means documenting all of your hazardous waste before landfall, checking storage limits, and reporting spills.
The government doesn’t want hazardous waste vanishing during a weather event.
Underestimating Post-Hurricane Logistics
Prepare for damages and long-term impacts after a hurricane. There’s going to be backups at disposal sites, truck routes might be altered, and some systems may just be paused until cleanup.
Prepare ahead of time with the expectation that everything will be delayed; this way, you don’t end up with too much hazardous waste, or put your business (and the environment) at risk.
Need Help Preparing Your Hazardous Waste for a Hurricane? Call HWH Environmental Today.
For generators in hurricane-prone regions, clear procedures and the right support can significantly reduce compliance risks when extreme weather strikes.
Need help with your hazardous waste? Contact HWH Environmental and speak with one of our team members to get all of your waste disposal needs taken care of.
