Aiken Faces Nearing $750,000 in Costs Due to Tropical Storm Helene

The city of Aiken is facing nearly $750,000 in costs due to Tropical Storm Helene, with expenses expected to rise. City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh reported the situation to the City Council, assuring that FEMA will reimburse eligible expenses following a federal disaster declaration. Debris removal efforts are underway as the city recovers from the storm’s extensive wind damage.

Tropical Storm Helene has resulted in significant expenses for the city of Aiken, totaling nearly $750,000. As of October 28, Aiken City Manager, Mr. Stuart Bedenbaugh, reported to the City Council that city expenditures on storm-related costs, excluding payroll, have reached $727,000. This figure is anticipated to rise with ongoing damage assessments and cleanup efforts. Fortunately, reimbursement from FEMA is expected; President Joe Biden has assured that all eligible costs incurred by the city within the initial 90 days will be fully reimbursed. This guarantee follows the President’s disaster declaration made at the request of Governor Henry McMaster. In a memorandum to the council, Mr. Bedenbaugh urged residents to exercise patience regarding debris removal as municipal staff navigate sensitive areas for cleanup. Following the recent council meeting, initial cleanup efforts have extended into neighborhoods including Sandstone, the Ridge, Chukker Creek, and Kensington, with work commencing in Woodside. To date, over 25,000 cubic yards of debris have been successfully collected by city staff, while contractors from Aiken County and the South Carolina Department of Transportation are also engaged in debris removal across the city. The city, however, has limited control over the deployment of these contractors. The county’s contractors have cleared approximately 16,700 cubic yards of debris in areas such as Houndslake, Aiken Estates, and Deerwood. Mr. Bedenbaugh noted that all parks, recreation, and tourism activities have resumed normal operations with the exception of Hopelands Gardens and the Rye Patch, where staff are coordinating efforts to ensure the timely commencement of Christmas in Hopelands. He mentioned that city staff successfully cleared the Whiskey-Berrie road intersection to facilitate the reinstallation of a traffic light, with work on this task expected to begin in the upcoming two weeks. Tropical Storm Helene, which transitioned from a hurricane to a tropical storm on September 27, brought powerful winds to Aiken, with recorded gusts reaching up to 90 mph and sustained winds exceeding 70 mph. The storm’s outer bands had already saturated the ground before the storm’s peak wind events, resulting in many trees being uprooted and causing substantial disruption to power lines throughout the city and Aiken County.

Tropical Storm Helene struck Aiken on September 27, transitioning from a hurricane and leading to extensive wind damages. The storm produced severe wind gusts, contributing to significant tree fallage and resulting in the power outages across the city and surrounding areas. The local government is currently dealing with the financial repercussions of the storm, focusing on cleanup and restoration efforts while anticipating federal assistance via FEMA to alleviate some of the costs.

In summary, Aiken is facing considerable financial impacts following Tropical Storm Helene, with current expenditures reaching approximately $750,000, a figure that is likely to increase as cleanup efforts progress. With FEMA’s assurance of reimbursements for eligible expenses post-disaster declaration, the city is undertaking extensive debris removal initiatives while ensuring that community facilities and events resume operational readiness. The urgency in addressing the cleanup is underscored by the significant disruption caused by the storm’s forceful winds, which have posed challenges for the city’s infrastructure and residents.

Original Source: www.postandcourier.com