Tons of Debris Removed from Greenville

Over 3 million cubic yards of debris collected by SCDOT crews from Tropical Storm Helene

The South Carolina Department of Transportation has completed most debris removal operations since Tropical Storm Helene ravaged the state when it arrived on land on September 27, leaving destruction from high winds and rains.

Crews have finished the final stages of the clean-up process in the most impacted areas.

However, residents should still expect ongoing activity as they address any remaining debris on state-maintained roads.

“This is one of the largest debris missions in our agency's history," said Rob Perry, deputy secretary for Engineering with the SCDOT. "We want to reassure folks that we are here to help.

"We know we have properties in our hardest hit areas waiting for the first pickup. We appreciate the patience of our community members as we work closely with our maintenance forces and contract forces to clean up all of the mess that the storm left in our state."

The Upstate faced significant challenges in its debris removal efforts in recent months due to winter conditions, including snow, ice, and rain.

Crews from across South Carolina have been crucial in assisting in clean-up operations, most notably in the most affected counties in the Upstate.

Since SCDOT's last update on December 9, the company reported that its contractors had removed an additional 1 million cubic yards of debris, totaling 3 million cubic yards.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) initially estimated that 2 million cubic yards would need to be removed from South Carolina, according to SCDOT.

In a statement on Facebook, the South Carolina Department of Transportation said, "Due to the significant amounts of debris over such a wide area, it will take several more weeks to complete the clean-up.

"We appreciate everyone’s patience while our teams continue their 'all hands on deck' work to finish the clean-up," they said in the post.

Greenville County has collected 710,000 cubic yards of debris from county-owned and maintained roadways, according to Bob Mihalic, Greenville County Governmental Affairs coordinator.

“710,000 is equivalent to 340 football fields filled with debris," Mihalic said.

"Before we are done, we expect to collect more than 1 million cubic yards," he said.

Crews continue to work seven days a week with more than 60 trailers/trucks in service, Mihalic said.

If a roadway in Greenville County needs attention, they can email debris@greenvillecounty.org

Debris totals for Upstate

Here are debris totals for the Upstate region:

• Spartanburg County - 693,824 cubic yards collected through January 12

• Anderson County – 219,399 cubic yards collected through January 12