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Appling County mobilizes debris removal and FEMA assistance after Hurricane Helene
Summary
Appling County contracted Phillips & Jordan for right-of-way debris removal, hired Debris Tech for FEMA monitoring, and approved a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center lease as the county continues recovery from Hurricane Helene; the board extended the local emergency and authorized administrative FEMA support services.
County officials said this week that Appling County is stepping up recovery work after severe damage from Hurricane Helene, approving multiple contracts for debris removal, monitoring and FEMA coordination while extending a local state of emergency to preserve access to state and federal assistance.
County Manager Al Meadows told the board the storm, on the morning of Sept. 27, caused extensive wind damage and outages across roughly a third of the county and “devastation…so great it will take months, if not years, to rebuild.” He said the county had contracted Phillips & Jordan to remove debris from county right-of-way (they will not enter private property) and Debris Tech to monitor collection points and handle FEMA documentation. Meadows also presented an administrative option — listed in meeting materials as ER Assyst (the vendor name appears elsewhere as ER Assist Inc.) — to package paperwork and pursue FEMA reimbursement on the county’s behalf; the board authorized use of either ER Assyst/ER Assist or the county’s existing consultant, Roberts Civil Engineering, pending final approval by the county attorney.
The board approved a lease with FEMA to host a Disaster Recovery Center/Public Assistance office at the Agricultural Center, which county officials said is being advertised through EMA channels. Officials emphasized the county must pay upfront costs for debris pickup and then seek reimbursement from FEMA; the intergovernmental agreement with the City of Baxley includes language aimed at cost-sharing if work extends beyond FEMA’s standard reimbursement window.
County staff described the operational approach: Phillips & Jordan will clear debris from rights-of-way only and haul to county collection points (currently Industrial Park West and a 20-acre tract off City Circle Road). Debris Tech will monitor the collection points, complete FEMA paperwork and advise on disposal methods. County Manager Meadows said the contractor initially deployed eight trucks working 12-hour shifts and that the county expects the program to continue for months; an early estimate provided in meeting materials suggested three to four months to complete countywide removal.
Commissioners also extended the county’s local state of emergency for 30 days to maintain eligibility for additional assistance and unanimously approved ARPA-funded purchases tied to response capacity, including an EMA rescue boat and a cell-tower purchase intended to improve communications coverage.
What happens next: the county will complete collection-point setup, continue debris removal passes, and work with Debris Tech and FEMA on documentation and reimbursement. County Clerk Robyn Evans and Chairman Leslie Burch were temporarily named to act for the manager’s office after the manager’s resignation, and the board later appointed an interim county manager to oversee recovery operations.
