Hitchock Woods getting help for Hurricane Helene cleanup
AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Hitchcock Woods, along with most of the CSRA, was severely impacted by Hurricane Helene.
They’ve been able to open 68 miles of trails in the woods so far, but there is still a lot to clean up.
Luckily, they got some help Thursday.
Excavators, wood chippers, and people who care were out in full force Thursday in Hitchcock Woods.
“We brought in two 308 cat excavators, and we’re clearing out falling trees from the hurricane to clear out the woods for the public,” said Ricky Cauthen, safety technician, Morgan Corp.
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The work being done here today is free of charge to Hitchcock Woods and was organized by Meta.
“This donation from Morgan, DPR, Upstream Recycling, and Meta got it started by just giving us a call. It’s a huge donation,” said Robert Abernathy, treasurer, Hitchcock Woods Foundation.
“We’ve done multiple community events like this, and anything we can do to help and answer the call to help the community, that’s what we’re here for,” said Jonny Montgomery senior superintendent, DPR Construction.
Crews were working all day Thursday and will continue their work Friday clearing areas near the south entrance and headquarters.
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“We’ve got certified sawyers and operators for the equipment. So we’ve teamed up with their equipment, our equipment, and we’re getting a good chunk done, and we’re grateful,” said Bennett Tucker, Woods superintendent, Hitchcock Woods Foundation.
Tucker says they’re using lessons from the 2014 ice storm to help clean up after Helene, prioritizing clearing first, then trying to salvage some of the timber.
“We still have a very long way to go. It took us a year for the ice storm recovery. This storm we are forecasting a year to two years,” said Tucker.
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