North Augusta says debris removal is main effort; first pass nearly complete, second‑pass timing unclear

City officials updated the North Augusta City Council on Jan. 6 about Hurricane Helene recovery operations, saying debris removal remains the city’s primary effort 102 days after the storm.

City staff and contractors described a coordinated effort that includes state road crews (SCDOT contractors), county crews, SDR (a debris-removal contractor) and city crews. The city said SDR is conducting passes on state and county roads while city crews focus on city‑owned roads; Tetra Tech is providing FEMA-required monitoring and documentation at debris removal sites.

Officials repeated that crews will collect vegetative debris and Christmas trees but will not pick up building materials or contractor construction waste; homeowners must self‑haul those items or hire contractors to remove them. Temporary drop-off for self‑haul residents is the Barton C and D landfill; Aiken County and North Augusta residents may use it free of charge, staff said. City staff emphasized that temporary storage sites are not final disposal sites and that ground-up material must be taken to a certified disposal location approved by the state.

Staff said the city’s first pass on many city roads is about 95% complete, and crews are shifting toward removing root balls and stump material next. Jason Sykes described splitting crews into heavy-equipment crews to remove large logs and a follow-up crew to collect finer debris, a process the city said helps reduce leftover material after each pass.

R and R Tree Service reported completion of Greenway cleanup and work on the Riverview Park trail and other parks; the Greenway is passable end to end but still has peripheral damage that will be addressed. Parks and recreation staff said about 14 parks or park sections are open while roughly 10 remain partially closed for safety repairs, and playground equipment damaged by the storm will be replaced before reopening.

Council members asked about funding and FEMA reimbursement. Staff said the FEMA deadline for reimbursement had not been set; federal timelines had been extended beyond an initial 90‑day target and, depending on state decisions, could push the date for full reimbursement into May. Staff said they were tracking documentation closely because the city has among the highest number of local government insurance claims in the state for this event.

Officials urged residents to reconsolidate leftover piles for second-pass crews and to be patient as the city plans second passes and stump‑removal operations. The city said it has two full-time city crews on debris removal and planned to hire outside contractors to fill labor gaps as budgeted in the current year.

Staff scheduled a more comprehensive public update for Jan. 16 at 6 p.m. in council chambers; that session will include a Q&A with the mayor and will be live streamed.