Up to $3M in Helene cleanup still waiting for reimbursement

AI-assisted summary

The city of Savannah's cleanup efforts cost about $3M, with reimbursement expected from FEMA and GEMA.

Within two weeks of the storm, the Park and Tree Department responded to 323 emergency calls and cleared 87 roads.

On Sept. 25, 2024, Mayor Van Johnson declared a state of local emergency for Savannah, just one day after Gov. Brian Kemp announced it statewide .

"Peak wind forecast is 25-35 mph with gusts up to 45 mph," said the city's first Hurricane Helene press release .

But the following night, the storm, downgraded to a tropical cyclone, arrived with gusts up to 76 mph , cutting across neighborhoods like a counterclockwise-moving lawn mower. The city's famed tree canopy, sheltering people and buildings from the wind, absorbed the brunt of the hit. About