When Tropical Storm Helene arrived on land on Sept. 27, it swept across South Carolina, leaving destruction from high winds and rains. Roads, homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and state, city, and county workers continue to clean up debris more than two months after the storm. The ongoing cleanup process involves removing fallen trees, clearing blocked roads, and repairing damaged infrastructure.
“This is one of the largest debris removal missions in our agency's history," Rob Perry, Deputy Secretary for Engineering said in a statement. "We recognize that properties in the hardest-hit areas are still waiting for their initial pickup. We appreciate the patience of our community members as we work closely with our maintenance teams and contracted services to clean up the mess left by the storm in our state.”
Nearly 1.8 million cubic yards of debris have been collected across the state since work began in October, according to SCDOT. This includes more than 983,000 cubic yards in Spartanburg, Cherokee, Laurens, Newberry and Union counties alone.
SCDOT expects debris to be collected by the end of the year in most impacted areas.
Crews will continue collecting debris for the first several weeks of the New Year in the areas with the most significant storm damage and debris.
This schedule is weather-dependent, and SCDOT officials have expressed that they will continue communicating with residents in impacted areas to provide updates on any changes. They urge residents to stay informed through official channels and remain patient as the crew works to complete the cleanup process.
Seven debris management sites are strategically placed throughout the county. These are where the crews haul debris, monitor it, and then ground it into mulch. Over 400 debris monitors were hired to ensure the process was completed properly so FEMA could reimburse.
Source: Greenvilleonline.com, Foxcarolina.com
