PULASKI Co., Va. – All throughout Claytor Lake, debris is scattered everywhere because of Hurricane Helene.
Now, regional hazmat crews and emergency crews are at the lake working to get it back to what it once was
“It’ll take months and months to clean this up,” said Zack Dunnigan, a firefighter for Pulaski County Fire and EMS.
While cleanup efforts have been going on for days, debris continues to pour in at Claytor Lake.
I got on a boat with Dunnigan, to see the damage firsthand. He’s been helping with the cleanup.
“Here’s a pretty large debris field, and right up there is a very large debris field,” Dunnigan said.
He said he’s never seen the lake in a state like this.
“It’s just unbelievable,” said Dunnigan. “On Sunday, they were talking probably 20 to 25-acre debris field initially down by the state park. As the days go on and the winds shift, it keeps bringing debris further and further down the lake. You’re not really sure where the field is going to be.”
As we went throughout the lake, it was clear this cleanup is going to take lots of time.
“This is showing us the bottom of the lake,” Dunnigan said.
Once we got back to the dock, Dunnigan showed me some of what they’ve recovered in the first week.
“We’ve seen a little bit of everything, from one-quart oil jugs to gallon oil jugs, to 5-gallon buckets of chemicals and that is what you’re seeing here with the hazmat team,” said Dunnigan. “Cans, spray cans coming out of the lake, raid. With propane, a propeller hitting, strike, spark, I mean, it could be a big, big explosion.”
He said they will need all the help they can get to get the lake back to what it once was.
If you want to get involved and help clean up this lake, you can contact Pulaski County Emergency Management here.