AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Hurricane debris removal has gotten underway early.

It was scheduled to start Monday, but officials said they decided to start Sunday night, when crews moved about 20 loads.

Augusta officials gave an update on the process Monday afternoon during a news conference.

They said they’re starting with about 15 trucks that will visit every street in the city to pick up debris scattered by Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27.

In some areas, they’ll pass two, three or four times in an effort to pick up all the debris people have left for them to pick up.

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The city has a deadline of 90 days to make a good-faith effort to get the mess cleaned up. In return, the federal government will reimburse Augusta for 100% of the cost.

City officials say it took 47 days to clean up the 870,000 cubic yards of debris from an infamous ice storm a decade ago.

Right now, the crews are starting in areas south of Gordon Highway and in heavily hit areas, then they’ll radiate outward from there.

One priority will be clearing routes that lead to hospitals. Also on the list are trees leaning over a road.

Heavily treed central parts of Augusta could be a challenge.

“It’s hit hard, and we’re gonna be busy,” said Steve Castle with contractor ISM.

Officials say there are two debris management sides, and they want folks to stay away from them because of the number of trucks going in and out.

Officials say the debris pickup is free.

You’ll need to leave it by the curb, on the right-of-way but not in the street.

And make sure you leave space for your garbage and recycling carts.

Don’t mix household garbage or construction debris with the vegetation waste from the storm, officials say.

And officials say not to burn the debris – not just for safety reasons but also for air quality.

The contractor will make multiple passes through the city, and GPS tracking will ensure every street is driven.

So if they don’t get everything on the first pass in front of your house, don’t worry.

If it wasn’t for the kindness of neighbors, Augusta resident Paulette Edery and her family would still be trapped in their home.

“You couldn’t get out,” said Edery.

This left Edery stopped in her tracks

“We had all these trees on the street here, then all the trees of the other house on the street and the one across was horrible. You couldn’t see anything, absolutely nothing. Just trees, one on top of the other,” she said.

The same story is told street after street.

“We were trapped from right, left, back and front,” said Edery. “Thankfully our neighbor and his wife had been helping us the next morning to start chopping just to be able to get out.”

There’s a lot to clean up, but Edery says that is the least of her worries.

“Listen, I’m a fighter. I’m not a quitter. At this point, we cannot let Mother Nature put us down, and we need to keep on going and moving and make the best of what happened to us,” she said.

Even with all of the devastation, Edery says she’s thankful.

“I say, thank you, God, the most important for me. Even if my house had got damaged, as long as I’m alive with my family the next morning, I’m very thankful,” she said.

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