Hawe Creek Campground in McCormick (South Carolina) is set to reopen on August 22, marking one of the first Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds to resume operations following closures due to Hurricane Helene.
The campground will be open through Labor Day weekend. No timeline has been established for the completion of repairs or the reopening of all affected campgrounds.
The Army Corps secured nearly $31.5 million in emergency funding earlier this year to address storm damage across seven campgrounds under its management. Contractors have since focused on removing hazardous debris and clearing affected areas.
According to an article published by News Channel 6 on August 8, Garrett Bramlette of the Army Corps explained that the funding came from the emergency release of the federally owned roads program (RFA), which enabled contractors to begin debris removal swiftly.
“That money allowed us to get the contractors in here and they will be able to remove all of this debris for us. So that was a huge thing,” Bramlette said.
At Hawe Creek alone, more than 2,600 dangerous trees have been cut down and over 8,000 cubic yards of debris have been cleared.
Bramlette highlighted progress made in recent weeks on removing hazard trees, including “hangers and leaners,” and working through major day-use areas and campgrounds.
Damage at Hawe Creek was less severe compared to other locations like Ridge Road and Lake Springs.
Bramlette noted ongoing challenges in assessing the full extent of damage in those sites. “It’s really hard to gauge how many lines are broken, how many electrical lines need repair in there. I mean, we have miles of roadway just in Lake Springs by itself,” he said.
Despite the limited reopening window, Bramlette emphasized the importance of restoring public access.
“What went in that decision ultimately is that we just want to give back to the public. We’ve been working really hard. The public has shown a great deal of patience with us, as we’ve gone through this entire process. So, it was just our way of giving back,” he said.