EVANS, Ga. – Nearly five months after Hurricane Helene struck, Columbia County has begun its final pass of debris pickup along local roads. With crews now moving through neighborhoods to clear out remaining storm debris, county officials are urging residents to act quickly if they still have debris to dispose of.

County leaders warn that many residents are mistakenly placing non-storm-related debris alongside their piles of hurricane debris, creating complications for the cleanup effort. “We are focusing on storm debris from the hurricane. Anything above and beyond that will be marked and not picked up,” said County Manager Scott Johnson. The piles with non-storm debris will be marked with a prominent orange X, signaling that they do not qualify for removal.

Crews have already made at least one pass on every street in Columbia County, but the cleanup is far from over. Johnson explained that while most streets have been touched, not every individual residence may have been fully addressed during the initial pass. “We’re going to go in and try to remove everything—stumps, large logs, everything on the road,” Johnson stated, emphasizing the importance of the final sweep.

With the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) last week denying an extension for 100% reimbursement on debris cleanup, the county has a limited window to complete the work. Once the second pass is finished, crews will not return to those streets.

Residents are encouraged to ensure their debris piles only contain hurricane-related materials, such as fallen trees or vegetation directly caused by the storm. Any new green vegetation, yard trash, or materials like fencing placed out for pickup will result in the pile being marked and left behind.

“The time is now for residents to get their storm debris to the curb,” Johnson said. “Once we document that a street is clean, we will not be coming back.”

This is the final chance for residents to take advantage of county-managed debris removal. After the second pass, homeowners will be responsible for removing any additional debris that doesn’t meet the criteria for pickup.