Christmas trees won’t be disposed of at Claytor Lake while Helene cleaning is ongoing

Pulaski County, Virginia – It has been precisely three months since Hurricane Helene devastated our hometowns on Friday, December 27.

Nevertheless, cleanup work is still ongoing.

The debris that developers were able to remove from the lake after the hurricane is only a small portion of the thousands of pounds of debris that sit alongside Claytor Lake.

According to lake personnel and developers, cleanup activities are finally coming to an end after a hectic few months.

Following Hurricane Helene, fragments of homes, boats, and other items carried by the storm filled Claytor Lake’s waters, making one of the most beloved locations in the New River Valley all but unrecognizable.

The water looks much better now, though. Developers have put in countless hours to clear nearly all of the garbage, according to Tanner Bradley, assistant park manager.

Bradley stated, “There is still some [debris] out there, and there is still a bit of a process that is going to happen.” “The majority of it is gone, but they’re still trying to pick a few items here and there.”

The parking lot is sacrificed for these cleanup activities. In the past, it served as a “staging area” for lake employees to assist in disposing of Christmas trees in the lake after the holidays.

However, they must halt it this year while cleanup is ongoing.

“The space where we typically arrange the Christmas trees is occupied right now. Bradley stated, “The debris removal mission is still in place; they’re just trying to make sure that gets done first.”
Bradley said it would be worth it in the long term, even though the fish lose a year of brand-new homes without the tree disposal.

By the end of February, developers hope to have the cleanup completed.

“We appreciate all of the assistance that has been provided, but we are eager for the park to reopen and to see many more happy faces here,” Bradley said.

Cleaning up the parking lot and transporting all the trash to the landfill are the last stages of the cleanup procedure. However, Claytor Lake State Park will be even more stunning after that, according to Bradley.