Most homeowners assume federal disaster assistance will cover storm debris cleanup on their property, but it doesn't.
FEMA's Public Assistance program funds debris removal from public roads, highways, and government-owned infrastructure. Cleanup on private property, such as your yard, driveway, and home, is explicitly excluded unless debris poses a documented, widespread public health threat. In practice, that standard is rarely met for individual residential properties.
That means after a hurricane, tornado, or major storm event, the cost of removing fallen trees, damaged roofing, broken fencing, and flood-damaged materials from your property falls entirely on you. A roll-off dumpster is typically the fastest, most cost-effective way to handle it.