For over three months, debris trucks and workers have tirelessly navigated the communities of Douglas, Broxton, Nicholls, Ambrose , and Coffee County to help collect Hurricane Helene debris from neighborhoods. With an impressive estimate of approximately 1.8 million cubic yards collected, significant progress has been made to reduce the debris for pickup.

City and county officials have consulted with SDR, the debris collection company, and have established a tentative deadline for residents to have all tree and construction debris from Hurricane Helene at the roadside for collection. All debris should be placed by the roadside by Friday, January 31, 2025.

Beginning February 1, 2025, SDR will make final passes on all local roads to pick up any remaining debris. Citizens should expect to see the debris trucks in our community through April 2025.

"The devastation from Hurricane Helene was unprecedented and we are continuing our efforts to make sure all debris is picked up over the next 3 months," says Wesley Vickers, County Administrator. "Our goal by setting a timeline for the debris to be placed at the roadside is to expedite our recovery efforts."

Citizens and volunteers should continue to separate debris into 6 piles by the roadside. Debris should be sorted into 6 piles as follows:

• Tree Trunks (log part of trees)
• Tree Stumps (Root Balls)
• Limbs and other Vegetative Debris
• Construction and Demolition Debris (boards, vinyl, roofing and etc.)
• White Goods (washers, dryers, refrigerators, freezers and etc.)
• Brown Goods (sofas, furniture)

All debris should be sorted properly. If it is not sorted correctly or if it is contaminated with other items, the debris pile may not be picked up, and the property owner could be responsible for removing it.

If a resident lives on a state or federal highway, the process for collecting debris may be different, as the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has a separate contractor working to remove debris from those roadways. Residents who live on these particular roads should contact GDOT for more information.