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Columbia County says final pass of storm debris is underway; website lists "all-clear" roads
Summary
Columbia County Manager Scott Johnson told residents the county is nearing the final pass of storm debris cleanup, urged people to check the county's "all-clear" roads web list because crews will not return to roads marked complete, and said FEMA denied an extension while state officials committed funds.
Columbia County Manager Scott Johnson said the county is approaching its final pass to remove storm-related debris and urged residents to check an online "all-clear" roads list because crews will not return to roads that have been marked complete.
"It seems like just yesterday in so many ways that this storm came and really changed our landscape and our lives in Columbia County forever," Johnson said, noting the scale of the cleanup and thanking county staff and private contractors involved in the work.
Johnson said the county has removed well over 4,000,000 cubic yards of debris so far, compared with about 569,000 cubic yards after the 2014 ice storm. He said crews have completed more than 500 center miles of roads and that the county is in the "final days" of the cleanup effort.
The manager warned that once the county marks a road "all clear" on the website, it will not return to collect additional debris. "Once we have declared a road all clear we will not come back to pick up any debris," Johnson said. He said the county is tight on its deadline and funding and asked residents to share the website link with neighbors.
Johnson said the county had been denied an extension of FEMA funding and that state officials — "Governor Kemp and Speaker Burns" — have committed some funds to help Columbia County, though he did not give dollar amounts. He said the county is coordinating with partners Ceres and DebrisTech and internal departments including engineering, roads and bridges, and GIS to complete the work.
For residents whose roads are already marked complete, Johnson listed alternatives: take debris to Sample and Sons on Columbia Road, arrange for private chipping or mulching services, or burn debris where safe. He also cautioned about a burn ban: "we have a burn ban in Columbia County that'll... begin... in May," and urged caution if residents choose to burn before that ban begins.
Johnson encouraged residents with questions to call 311 or contact county administration. "If you ever need us, you can always call the county manager's office or county administration," he said. He added that the county hopes to post a final wrap-up video when cleanup is finished.
The update was delivered as a county manager briefing; no formal vote or other board action was recorded in the transcript.
