Extra debris cleanup time makes Augusta leaders happy
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - The Federal Emergency Management Agency has given Augusta and other communities in Georgia and South Carolina 30 more days to clean up Helene debris and still get reimbursed 100% for the costs.
Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson announced Wednesday that the 100% reimbursement period for Hurricane Helene has been extended to 120 days.
Documents from FEMA showed the deadline was extended in both Georgia and South Carolina.
Previously, communities had a 90-day deadline to clean up the debris and get fully reimbursed for the costs.
The extension is crucial in Augusta, because with only a couple of weeks left under the original deadline, contractors haven’t even finished their first through the city.
“That’s a critical part of our recovery, in that we continue, I don’t want to say have struggles, but we continue to deal with an enormous amount of debris, having extra time to clean up and restore our community is vitally important,” said Johnson.
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It allows for extra days of cleanup, but crews are still working just as hard.
“The quicker you get cleaned up, the faster you can recover. You know, it’s an eyesore. It’s a public safety issue that affects your economic development and everything so the first step is always getting cleaned up so we can start getting into the major recovery,” said Steve Cassell with ISM Engineering.
Looking at it as a chance for growth, Johnson says, “Our plan, believe it or not, involves a long-term recovery aspect, removing debris and cleaning our city up is a primary goal, but our focus is starting to shift to how we make Augusta better than we were prior to Hurricane Helene.”
Crews are also recognizing that there’s a lot of work still need to be done.
“This is gonna be awhile. It’s much larger than just the debris that’s what’s visible. Once you pick it up, it’s what you see after that and that’s what we’ll be dealing with next,” said Cassell.
Johnson posted on his Facebook page that due to rain and wind, debris haulers would not be working.
They also ask that everyone stays patient as crews work, especially around the holiday season. Because as much as we want to get back to a new normal, it’s important to put everyone’s safety first.
Residents were asked to pile hurricane debris along the roadsides, and crews plan to make at least two and possibly three es along every street in the city to pick up the debris.
On Tuesday night, Johnson updated the community at a town hall meeting on cleanup efforts in Richmond County.
The extension comes even as FEMA Director Deanne Criswell testified last month to senators that the money available to help communities like Augusta has shrunk after back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton.
She said the country’s emergency checkbook is down to less than $5 billion.
She and Sen. Jon Ossoff for an infusion of money during a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations.
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