Part of North Augusta Greeneway reopens, but much is still a mess
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - After much cleanup work following Hurricane Helene, part of the Greeneway trail system has reopened in North Augusta.
The city said Wednesday that the Greeneway is now open from the Riverfront Loop to Cypress and the Hammond Hill Suburban Club restrooms.
The entire Greeneway had closed beginning Nov. 11 for maintenance and cleanup.
Meanwhile, crews continue cutting limbs left precariously hanging by the Sept. 27 hurricane, plus clearing trees that toppled completely.
2 months after Helene, FEMA help continues to flow into CSRA
Wednesday marked two months since Hurricane Helene tore through the CSRA – and new FEMA disaster recovery centers are continuing to open.
Janis Krauss says it’s been a long road for her down the Greeneway over the years.
“For a really long time, since early, mid-’90s,” says Krauss, a Greeneway bike rider.
Krauss says she’s ridden through bumps in the road and different directions during the trail’s life, but she’s seen nothing like the new path Helene left behind.
UPDATE
North Augusta: Here’s where the city stands on debris removal
- Across North Augusta, Hurricane Helene debris cleanup continues.
- City leaders said this week that crews have collected more than 40,000 cubic yards of debris.
- While they still have more than half the city’s streets to clean, once they complete an initial on all streets, they’ll come back through to pick up any larger logs and root balls.
- City leaders say while crews are still making headway on clearing roads and public spaces, they’re still about a month out from getting through their first of all streets.
- There’s still a lot to be done before crews go into the next phase of cleanup, which involves getting rid of large debris off property and, of course, making all parks and facilities accessible.
“We try to work through things when stuff has to happen,” says Krauss, “Of course, there’s a lot of devastation right now from the way that the hurricane hit, a lot of tree loss.”
North Augusta city leaders say crews are getting closer to picking up everything.
Organizers say the cleanup effort will allow events like the Palmetto Peach Half Marathon, the first on the Greeneway since Helene, to happen.
“Fortunately, the city has worked really hard, and a lot of the roads are getting cleared up, and now they’re working on the Greeneway,” says Jenafer McCauley, owner of Fleet Feet and Palmetto Peach director. “We did have to adjust the course by about 4 miles, so we’re obviously not using the entire Greeneway as we would normally do for the race, but we have enough to be able to make it work for this year.”
Krauss says she sees the progress but they’re far from being finished.
“It’s still a little treacherous to watch out for the debris piles, but it’s clear now all the way down to Cypress,” says Krauss.
She says it’s hard to tell what the future of North Augusta will look like in the coming months, but she’s along for the ride.
Monarch watchers needed to help track butterflies in CSRA
Experts are seeking your help as they try to monitor the status of the monarch butterfly population, which is on its way to becoming an endangered species.
“We’ll have to see how much shade is left the next spring after everything comes back out,” says Krauss.
Officials say they’re still trying to get all city roads and all the Greeneway completed by the end of January.
As of now, 11 parks and recreation facilities are still closed or partially closed.
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