‘When is it going to happen?’ Augusta updates citizens on Helene cleanup

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – It’s been more than two months since Hurricane Helene hit the area leaving behind a path of destruction.

Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson updated the community at a town hall meeting Tuesday night on cleanup efforts in Richmond County.

City leaders are encouraging people to stay patient as crews are weeks away from completing their first pass-through of the county.

Contractors say they’re about 90% done and are getting ready for the next phase, which will start in the new year.

Deborah Jones says she feels like everyone else sees crews picking up debris, but not in her neighborhood.

“They don’t come up the street, they stop at one location, and then they’re gone, and you don’t see them again,” says Jones, an Augusta citizen. “So, I guess I’m like everybody else. When is it going to happen?”

With 1.9 million cubic yards of debris collected and only weeks from completing an entire pass-through of the county, residents like Sheila Spivey say they see the progress.

“I see them go up and down, Walter Way up and down, Heard Avenue up to south Augusta,” says Spivey, an Augusta citizen. “They’re doing what they can, but it is a big job.”

City leaders say the plan is more than just debris removal, they’re now making bids toward a long-term recovery contract to rebuild Augusta.

“That means everything that’s been going on, from degree to mitigation to rebuilding, to all our respective agencies that we can discuss our HUD applications, our funding that’s going to be there to oversee to make sure that we can get Augusta back to where it originally was,” says Tameka Allen, Augusta city administrator.

A plan residents say they’re ready to see the other end of as many just want normalcy back on their property lines.

“My front yard is covered in debris, so I can’t see out of my front yard,” says Jones. “We can’t do anything in our yard because of the debris. So, I’m trying to be patient, but it’s kind of hard.”

City leaders say the next phase will involve removing larger debris normal trucks can’t pick up as well as getting rid of construction-based debris.

They say although there are about 15 days left on the FEMA deadline, they will continue the work until everything is done.

If you missed this town hall meeting, another will take place on Dec. 17 at Diamond Lakes at 6 p.m.

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