By: Mariel Carbone | WCTV Eyewitness News

October 24, 2018

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -- Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Michael, cleanup continues in Leon County, and the costs are adding up.

According to Leon County, initial estimates show the total response cost for the county and city is about $40 million. Up to 75 percent of that money could be reimbursed by FEMA. The county is currently working with FEMA to prepare the necessary paperwork to receive those funds.

As for cleanup, the county has collected more than 40,000 tons of debris. And that number is expected to grow. Debris pickup could last until Thanksgiving.

And, during the storm, the Emergency Operations Center was activated for 194 hours. That’s the longest in the center’s history.

Kevin Peters, Director of Emergency Management for Leon County, said because of past experiences, that storm response went smoothly.

"We were very well experienced. We knew what we needed to do very clearly. We knew what to anticipate. So we were very, very prepared for this response,” he said.

He also noted that there was a big improvement in communication between this storm and Hermine and Irma. Because of lessons learned, the county and city pushed more content on social media and partnered closer with WFSU to bring updates to the public.