North Augusta’s Storm Cleanup Progresses Despite Remaining Debris Challenges

North Augusta’s Storm Cleanup Continues: A Mini-Mountain of Debris Remains

Hey North Augusta! If you’ve been out and about lately, you might have noticed those towering piles of storm debris at the local dump sites. The sight may look a little daunting, but here’s the bright side: your city is making great strides in cleaning up after the recent storms! With the help of the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), North Augusta has been working tirelessly around the clock to clear up the mess.

Making Serious Headway

As of December 16th, the city reported a whopping 92% of its own streets—that’s 22.3 out of 24.1 miles—have been cleared. This is no easy task and on top of that, most of the roads in North Augusta are under SCDOT’s jurisdiction. So, while the city is nailing down the cleanup at home, SCDOT is hard at work picking up a staggering 1.8 million cubic yards of debris statewide since October!

Just to give you some perspective, that amount is like stretching all that debris from North Augusta all the way to Boston. To put it another way, it’s like stacking about 185 Mount Everests high! And that’s a lot of lifting!

Dump Sites Busy as Bees

One of the most notable dump sites is located on Buena Vista Avenue, where debris flows in and out like a busy beehive. Despite its size being smaller compared to larger SCDOT sites, it still showcases a hefty load of collected materials. The mounds of debris are a reminder of what’s been cleared, but more remains to be done.

City Administrator Jim Clifford mentioned that while the city is still engaged in its first sweep, they are already looking ahead. After dealing with the bulk of the cleanup, North Augusta is gearing up to tackle the root balls that are left behind—a serious next phase of work. These root balls are tricky because they need to be fully detached from the ground to be picked up effectively.

Patience is Key

As we reach the end of 2024, it’s important to stay patient as the cleanup continues. “We want to reassure folks that we are coming to help,” said Rob Perry, Deputy Secretary for Engineering at SCDOT. “We know we have properties in our hardest hit areas that are still waiting for the first pickup.” SCDOT has set a deadline of January 5 for collecting anything already out on the streets in Aiken County, so keep your eyes peeled for those trucks!

While the city of North Augusta is targeting a full cleanup of its streets by the end of December, they’re looking at a near-complete cleanup from Tropical Storm Helene—including parks and the Greeneway—by January 25. Sounds like a solid plan to us!

Focused on the Next Steps

And what’s next for those pesky root balls? Jim Clifford hinted that a plan for their removal will be presented to the City Council on January 6. Meanwhile, it appears that the city will prioritize those root balls that don’t require cutting operations, meaning the crews can use front-end loaders to scoop them up quickly. This swift approach should help clear the roads more efficiently.

Community Check-in

In the spirit of community, City Councilman David Buck raised an important point regarding residents who may not have the means to hire outside help for their yard cleanup. Some folks might be doing it themselves and struggling to get the debris out to the curb on time. There’s a possibility that the city could revisit the current ordinances governing yard debris pickup in response to these concerns.

So, North Augusta, remember to stay safe out there, and keep those curbside areas free of obstacles while the cleanup continues. We’re all in this together, and with a bit of patience and community spirit, we’ll soon see clear roads and spaces once again!