Amerson River Park remains closed as hurricane cleanup wraps up in Macon

Three days after Hurricane Helene swept through Georgia, life has largely returned to normal for Maconites.

Amerson River Park and the Spring Street boat ramp remain closed due to a flooding Ocmulgee River, with river levels reaching nearly 22 feet above normal.

The storm, which was projected to hit Middle Georgia directly, instead moved east, spreading damage across counties to the south and east of Macon.

According to Macon-Bibb County, power has been restored to more than 15,000 residents and crews have cleared all but two roads as of Monday morning.

“We were fortunate with this storm, while so many other communities were not. Please continue to pray for them and find ways to send support to their communities,” Mayor Lester Miller said.

The county is operating on a one day delay for all trash collection. However, folks can dump yard and tree debris at the county’s two convenience centers between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. during this week and the next.

Hurricane Helene killed more than 100 people, according to early estimates, including 25 in Georgia.

The storm was the most destructive hurricane in the history of Georgia Power, knocking out electricity for more than a million residents. The company estimates that more than 5,000 power poles, 425 miles of wire and 500 transformers need to be replaced.