Debris removal continues in CSRA counties

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Before Hurricane Helene, the 2014 ice storm was one of the worst recent disasters our area faced.

There was approximately 500,000 cubic yards of ice storm debris in Columbia County.

A cubic meter is about the size of a washing machine.

To put Helene into perspective, 928,000 cubic meters of debris have been collected so far. That’s almost double the size of the ice storm, and they’re far from done.

In Richmond County, they have collected more than 1 million cubic yards of debris so far.

For many it is a matter of waiting, but it shows how much damage the storm has left behind. Many neighbors are just grateful to be alive to clean up their yards.

Some neighborhoods are still unrecognizable.

“Trees that you thought would never fall all fell like toothpicks,” said Richmond County resident Cindy Steele.

It left the neighbors to clean up and make the best of reality.

Columbia County resident James Mushet said, “Just picking up debris one day after another and, you know, cleaning up almost every day now.”

Becky McArdle, another Columbia County resident, said, “You can imagine being in a semi or a bus or whatever and having to deal with this.

In some cases the stacks are so high.

“People just need to slow down. I’ve had people come around that corner, flying,” McArdle said.

It can get tricky to navigate.

“You don’t see them until they’re right next to you because of all the debris,” she said.

As a bus driver, McArdle knows the struggle.

“The only thing I can suggest and think is that people just need to be careful and think about the larger vehicles that come through here and, you know, not fly around the corner,” she said.

And as we all know, this won’t be an overnight cleanup. But for some it is an eyesore.

Steele said, “We’re all dealing with it, and everyone’s helping everyone else. And you know, if you need something, you call your neighbor. I mean, here we are very close and very supportive of each other, and so I know I can call a neighbor if I need anything.

Many neighbors are just grateful to be alive.

Mushet said: “The cleanup will be fine, but the destruction and loss of life is what really hurts the most. It will be a date that will remain in our minds for a long time.”

Richmond and Columbia counties are working to get everything cleared within 90 days to receive full FEMA reimbursement.