Hurricane Helene caused nearly $200M in timber damage, state assessment shows

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — The full scope of Hurricane Helene’s destructive path through South Carolina is beginning to emerge, with forestry officials on Friday saying it caused nearly $200 million in damages to the timber sector.

Forestry Commission officials conducted aerial surveys of 850 areas beginning Sept. 28, syncing data with teams on the ground to determine volume loss. Total timber damage across 20 counties hit $83 million — without accounting for infrastructure.

Commission staff also surveyed mill operators and other industry leaders to determine the operational loss times, which average 2 1/2 days. That accounted for about 1% of all annual output — $51 million in all.

Urban forests were also slammed by Helene, using the estimated cost of wood waste disposal to come up with an estimate.

Officials said about three million cubic yards need to be disposed at a cost of $20 each, or $60 million overall.

That puts Helene-related timber damage at $194 million after preliminary assessments, the commission said.

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.

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