Regardless of where you live in the county, odds are good that Hurricane Helene left storm debris on your property. After the storm, Lincoln County cleared 104,551 cubic yards or 3,867 loads of debris off of public county roads. If you’re like me, you cleared enough of your property to get it functional; but there is plenty of clean up still to do. As we get into better weather, there are a few different options you can consider for storm debris cleanup – specifically, downed trees, limbs, and other plant material.
Hopefully by now, you have prioritized your work and taken care of the trees and debris that threaten buildings, fences, and other structures. If you are hesitant about your ability to handle a tree or debris, contact a certified arborist through the Georgia Arborist Association or a reputable tree company. Trees that are uprooted and leaning are unlikely to survive, so it is best to include them in removal and cleanup plans.
Clearing large debris like downed trees is often difficult due to their size and location. If the tree falls in a patch of forest, it may be best just to leave it. Dead wood actually benefits our natural ecosystem, so leaving a few downed trees or logs can provide habitat to plant, animal, and fungal species. However, some species of tree, like hardwoods, can take many years to decompose. If you don’t want to leave the downed trees, another option is to remove them entirely. If you’d like to keep them whole, you’ll need equipment with the capability to move them (size and weight) and might want to hire a tree removal company. If you’re open to removing them in pieces, you can cut them with a chainsaw into firewood and either sell them or burn them.
Smaller debris like tree limbs, needles, and leaves can be easier to deal with. Commercial wood chippers can be rented from local vendors and are available in a variety of sizes. I rented one with a 6” diameter capacity right after the storm, and it was able to chip the vast majority of the debris around my house. Typically, you can reduce the volume of debris by 90% by chipping it, and chips can be used as mulch or spread around the property. Just be mindful that commercial chippers do require you to feed the debris into the hopper, which can be significant physical labor. Another option is to rent a commercial mulcher. Mulchers are similar to chippers, but are typically used as an attachment to a tractor or as a ride-on piece of equipment. They are driven through desired area and can typically grind down small trees (standing or downed) and other debris. A mulcher might be a good option if you’d like to clear the undergrowth in an area in addition to the storm debris. Again, this is a piece of heavy equipment and does need appropriate skill and knowledge to operate safely.
If heavy equipment isn’t in your wheelhouse, another option is burning. Depending on your property, there are two options. First would be a prescribed fire, which can clear the undergrowth, ground covering like pine needles, and small debris from an area. It can be used on small properties or large ones. It will not take care of large downed trees, and if you have not burned the property before, can require more than one burn to clear the plant material. If you’re interested in prescribed fire, I recommend contacting the Georgia Forestry Commission. The second option is to stack and burn. This just means pulling as much debris as possible, piling it in a clear area with appropriate fire breaks, and burning it. This can be more labor intensive, but can clear a lot of small debris relatively quickly. If you choose to use fire to remove debris, please get all required burn permits and follow good safety practices to help prevent wildfires.
Finally, if you need a workout and have primarily sticks, leaves, and small debris, hand-removal is an option. A combination of leaf blowers and hand raking can help with cleanup. If you’re able to blow or rake debris onto a tarp, you can then pull that tarp into a trailer or truck bed to haul to the Lincoln County Convenience Center for disposal.
Unfortunately, there’s no real “easy button” for storm debris cleanup. Depending on the severity of debris on your property, you may need to use a combination of approaches to get it back to tip-top shape. If you need more information on any of the methods mentioned above, please call us at 706-359-3233 or uge3181@uga.edu.
