Holiday has a new meaning this year for those affected by Helene
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - This week marks two months since Hurricane Helene tore through the CSRA, topping trees, roughing up roofs and turning homes into hazard zones.
Since then, we’ve established a new normal – one with a lot more debris on the sides of the roads and in our yards.
A lot of progress has been made, though.
Over the past weekend in Columbia County, 101 units were out, clearing loads of debris.
But the Hill in Augusta is one area where the debris is still very visible.
MORE FROM NEWS 12
Thanksgiving: Much is the same and much is different this year
- What to know about Thanksgiving cooking or carry-out in CSRA
- CSRA travelers need to brace for ‘busiest Thanksgiving ever’
- Flying out of Atlanta? Prepare to hunt for a parking spot
- Here are local gas prices heading into Thanksgiving week
- Why Augusta is at ground zero for house fire risks this week
- James Brown Foundation hosts 33rd annual turkey giveaway
You won’t find many holiday inflatables or Christmas lights in that part of Augusta just yet.
Instead, you’ll see one bin after another, full of vegetation debris.
“It has been looking like a war zone, and it’s really improved a lot,” homeowner Mark Albertin said. “FEMA has been moving things around and a lot of the debris is gone.”
Sounds of the cleanup continue daily.
“The new normal is definitely the sound of chainsaws, workers hammering, blowers blowing,” Albertin said. “It’s a new world we’re in right now.”
With so many trees and their overheard canopies gone, the road back home has a different view
“It’s such a shock when you drive around because it’s like, ‘Wow I dont being able to see the sky so clearly.’”
For Albertin, the piles of debris bring a whole new meaning to Thanksgiving this season.
“I am so grateful to be here talking to you today,” he said. “I am so sorry for the lives lost, but i am grateful to see us snapping back. The city is coming back. It will just be a different view.”
That leaves Addison Moore Hagen with one wish.
“The only thing I want for the holiday this year is to be back in my own home,” she said.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
