Some Augusta neighborhoods still ‘unrecognizable’ amid debris cleanup

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta and parts of the CSRA look very different than a week ago. Every other curb is packed full of tree limbs and crews are heading out to clear thousands of cubic yards worth of debris.

Some neighborhoods are now unrecognizable in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

“It was heartbreaking to see so much destruction around you and mostly with people you know,” said Augsuta resident Lilo Benzicron.

It all hits too close to home for Lilo and his wife Klara Banzicron.

“She would have been hurt, she would have been right where it fell off from the tower, and then it would have, you see the window fell right in her bed,” said Lilo.

Their daughter wasn’t home during the storm, sparring this family from losing something irreplaceable.

“The other things, it’s just replaceable items. we just go through this cycle of headaches, dealing with people, dealing with this, dealing with that,” said Lilo.

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From the looks of it, you would think the storm just happened. That just goes to show how long it’s going to take to clean up around here.

“We are fortunate nothing happened to us physically, but then, you know, after what happened, then you start realizing all these necessities that you are accustomed to having,” said Lilo.

The one thing you can’t replace is life.

“We want to still have that peace here. We want to have this place rebuilt you know, in any way we can help and talk about things,” said Lilo.

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Columbia County says they have six derbis sites and are looking to add two more. They say they have about 44 trucks out moving debris.

Aiken County says now that the roads have been mostly cleared, the county is transitioning into the debris cleanup phase.

The collection sites are being finalized now and they aim to start collection on county-owned roads soon.

We have spoken to officials in Richmond, Columbia and Aiken counties, and they all say to leave the debris by the road but do not block the road.

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