SAVANNAH – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, received Direct Federal Assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for debris removal in 10 Georgia counties shortly after Hurricane Helene moved across Georgia as a Category 2 hurricane Sept. 27, 2024, toppling trees and scattering debris in its wake.

As of March 4, the mission is 97% complete with the last 3% of the mission focusing on mulch haul-off and closeout. This comes after approximately $135 million in task orders was awarded for the Army Corps of Engineers to remove an estimated 3.1 million cubic yards of debris in those 10 counties. The first assignment for the debris removal mission was Oct. 8, 2024.

During the first mission assignment, technical monitors were deployed to assess the volume of debris to be removed in cubic yards, identify locations for temporary storage, determine personnel and equipment requirements, and conduct health and safety evaluations.

After the damage was assessed, the first order of business was to award the contracts, so the debris removal could get started. After the contracts were awarded, the debris removal mission began in early November under the direction of FEMA and the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agencies and as part of the FEMA debris mission assignment.

“More than 400 experts from across the USACE enterprise voluntarily deployed to support the debris mission,” said Lt. Col. Vanessa Bowman, USACE, Savannah District deputy commander. “So, this is a team of teams effort. Our partnerships with other USACE districts, city, county, and state authorities, the Federal Emergency Management Agency as well as other agencies and departments helped make this mission a success.”

During the recovery operations, the Army Corps of Engineers assisted local authorities with best management practices to determine the volume of debris, the characteristics of the debris, and the best avenues for disposal.

“The mission has been a huge undertaking, requiring the removal of roughly 3.1 million cubic yards of debris,” said Todd Turner, mission manager for the Army Corps of Engineers’ Hurricane Helene debris mission in Georgia. “To paint a better picture, one cubic yard of debris will generally fill the drum of a standard-sized washing machine. Removing that volume of debris has a lot of moving parts. It took a lot of coordination and talented people who wanted to make a difference.”

The Army Corps of Engineers Debris Mission team averaged 110 members daily who volunteered to deploy for a 30-day rotation in support of the ongoing mission since October 2024. On average, there were 500 contract workers supporting the mission daily since November 2024.

Initially, there were 27 debris removal crews, and 64 hauling vehicles assigned to the mission. At the height of the recovery, there were more than 100 debris removal crews and approximately 200 hauling vehicles. There were also 51 crews, with each crew consisting of a seven-person team, removing trees referred to as leaners, hangers, and stumps. Additionally, the mulching process had more than 20 haul-out trucks, and the grinding crews consisted of 12 grinders with support equipment.

The debris typically consisted of construction and demolition material, downed trees, branches, stumps and other vegetative matter that obstructed roadways and public spaces.

The first haul took place in Ben Hill and Laurens counties, Georgia, Nov. 6, 2024. As of March 4, the team has cleared:

• 1,185,870 cubic yards in Lowndes County
• 896,469 cubic yards in Montgomery County
• 433,115 cubic yards in Candler County
• 230,077 cubic yards Laurens County
• 73,114 cubic yards in Brooks County
• 57,043 cubic yards Jenkins County
• 45,565 cubic yards Screven County
• 26,863 cubic yards in Ben Hill County
• 23,476 cubic yards in McIntosh County
• 22,195 cubic yards Dodge County

The Savannah District continues to work closely with state, local, and other federal agencies as part of ongoing recovery efforts, providing vital support to communities impacted by the storm. The mission is projected to be complete by the end of April.

Videos and other information can be found here: https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/USACOE-SD