Burke County commissioners back request for Army Corps help to remove waterway debris after Hurricane Helena

Burke County commissioners voted to ask the state to request a dedicated U.S. Army Corps of Engineers mission to remove debris from navigable waterways and to pair that work with recently eligible private‑property debris removal, following a staff briefing on the county’s post‑Hurricane Helena recovery work.

The county manager, Brian Manning, told the commissioners the county has collected more than 255,000 cubic yards of right‑of‑way debris and has been operating three alternate debris sites (the fairgrounds, Marsh Trail solid‑waste facility and East Fleming). Manning said removal and reduction of debris has included grinding and FEMA‑approved disposal at the landfill after a short, halted attempt at burning because of nearby wildfires in McDowell County.

Manning summarized the two routes available for waterway debris removal: (1) contracting with one of the state‑approved private contractors (the county would manage and coordinate the work and pay the local share up front), or (2) asking the state Emergency Management Division to…