By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

(April 2, 2026) More than a month after February’s blizzard left Ocean Pines blanketed by fallen trees and branches, officials say the continuing cleanup efforts are stalling because of  residents adding everyday yard waste to the piles of storm debris.

At the Ocean Pines Association’s Board of Directors meeting this week, OPA General Manager John Viola said the cleanup began the week of March 2, following the heavy snowfall and wind of the Feb. 22 winter storm.

Residents were told to assemble any broken limbs in a pile at the top of their property for OPA Public Works crews to collect. Viola noted that he authorized overtime and the hiring of outside vendors to assist with debris collection, and that the work continues. Officials expect all neighborhoods to be free of the storm waste by April 10.

Officials said, however, that the effort has been slowed by some Ocean Pines citizens using the courtesy service to dispose of discarded trees and branches unrelated to winter weather.

“We’ve been picking it up; we’re a little behind, but here’s what’s happening: We do it, people put more brush out there,” Viola said. “The brush that we’re seeing, the trees that we’re seeing cut down, everybody is using it as an opportunity to clean out their yards, not just from the storm. That’s just taking us more time to do it.”

The general manager added that OPA Board President John Latham has asked the staff to be sure the cleanup is completed by the start of the busy summer season.

“I believe we’ll have everything reasonably done so that I can utilize that team for the opening of Ocean Pines,” Viola said. “We have brought in outside contractors. We continue to bring them out. I authorized it because I do want to get it done…And we will.”

According to Linda Martin, OPA’s senior director of administration, Republic Services, the company that handles garbage collection in Ocean Pines, will also pick up debris if residents tie their waste into bundles of a maximum length of four feet, or place the limbs in paper bags.

“So if you do not want to wait you can do that,” Martin said.

Community officials reiterated that homeowners must keep any yard debris intended for storm-related pickup limited to the branches that fell during the blizzard.

“What I’m finding is that a neighborhood will get done, and then two days later, someone decides, ‘Hey, I could trim down my tree,’” Director Elaine Brady said. “They’re only going to do it once in your neighborhood. If they’ve already been through, it’s not going to do you any good to throw your stuff back on the curb. It’s going to sit until you hire somebody to come and get it for you.”