GILES COUNTY, Va. – Volunteers swarmed the shores of the New River for Giles County’s annual ReNew the New cleanup, an effort that looked a lot different this year because of Hurricane Helene.
They got a major boost from more than 500 members of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets.
Helene sent tons of debris into the new river, a lot of it ending on the islands in Giles County, and a lot of it is still there six months later.
County administrator Chris McKlarney says volunteers focused on the areas most impacted by the storm.
“It’s important for us that when people come here, they have a good experience. we want them to experience the river the way it was prior to Helene, which was pristine and so we’re going to do the hard work it takes to clean it back up.”
Chris Mcklarney, Giles County Administrator
More than 100 cadets were sent to those islands, which only be reached by boat. The debris was loaded on barges and then dumpsters to be carried away.
