Management consulting and engineering firm R. W. Beck, Inc. has been given the task of managing cleanup efforts to alleviate the impact of Hurricane Katrina on five communities in South Florida.

The R. W. Beck debris removal teams are in place for: Monroe County, which encompasses the Florida Keys, as well as the municipalities of Cooper City, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Plantation -- all in South Florida.

Last week Katrina, then a Category 1 hurricane, caused damage throughout the region before eventually evolving into the devastating Category 4 storm that impacted Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana on the Gulf Coast.

R. W. Beck is providing field support and oversight activities throughout the cleanup and is assisting with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) paperwork requirements.

Chuck McLendon, R. W. Beck's project manager, says, "We're striving to get debris cleared as quickly as possible and to certify the cubic yards collected so that FEMA can reimburse some of the costs associated with Hurricane Katrina."

In addition, R. W. Beck's work continues in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and Pensacola, all in the Florida Panhandle. They are still recovering from 2004's Hurricane Ivan and from Hurricane Dennis earlier this season, and were affected by Katrina.

Also in 2004, R. W. Beck assisted with the efforts to clean up after hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne in various Florida communities.

Clients, including Sarasota County, Florida, and Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, relied on R. W. Beck with similar hurricane cleanup efforts when Hurricane Lili hit in 2002.