CAYCE — The city's popular riverwalk is closed indefinitely as crews continue to clean up debris and clear trees that were knocked down during Hurricane Helene.
The Cayce Parks Department is evaluating the extent of the damage to the riverwalk and Timmerman Trail, the city said in a Facebook post on Oct. 7. The process could take several weeks.
Downed trees and significant mud buildup from flooding during Helene have made travel and cleanup challenging for staff. Some parts of the Cayce Riverwalk were completed submerged by floodwaters during the storm.
Damage to Cayce's Riverwalk from Hurricane Helene.
Sections of the riverwalk will reopen as "soon as they are cleared, cleaned, and considered safe," the city said in the post.
The Cayce Riverwalk stretches over 12 miles from the Blossom Street Bridge to the Timmerman Trail at Fort Congaree Trail near Interstate 77. The riverwalk system features a number of parks and boardwalks and is part of the expansive Three Rivers Greenway system.
Cayce Councilmember Byron Thomas urged residents to avoid using the riverwalk and trails until they are reopened.
“We’re working to the best of our ability,” Thomas told The Post and Courier, “ We just want to put safety first.”
Part of the riverwalk runs along the Congaree River, which rose to 30.58 feet on Sept. 30. It was one of the highest levels recorded on the Congaree and approaching the levels seen during the 2015 "thousand-year flood."
Mud is seen piled up on the Cayce Riverwalk.
Low-lying areas in Cayce saw road closures and floodwaters inches from homes.
A Cayce spokesperson said it's too early to know how much repairs to the trail will cost.
The boardwalk section of riverwalk was closed to the public in March after portions of it were damaged by floodwaters. The riverwalk fully opened in early June.