South Carolina Disaster Assistance Dollars Approaching 2.75 Million 

Release Date: October 8, 1999
Release Number: 1299-20

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COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Since the Presidential disaster declaration 7,733 disaster survivors in eleven declared counties have applied for assistance, and a total of $ 2,733,130 has been approved for disaster housing assistance and low-interest loans. Disaster housing assistance includes temporary housing costs or emergency home repairs that make the dwelling safe and habitable.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved $ 840,100 in low-interest disaster loans for 36 homeowners, who received $ 812,000, and five businesses that received $ 28,100.

Out of 3,369 loan applications issued, SBA officials have had only 251 applications returned. These loan officials urge people who received application packets when they applied for assistance to get those documents back to the SBA in the Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) as soon as possible. There is an SBA "workshop" at the Myrtle Beach DRC from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

The SBA is the primary source of federal funds for long-term disaster recovery for owners of private property, including homeowners, renters, landlords, non-farm businesses of all sizes and private non-profit organizations. These low-interest loans cover costs of repair or replacement of damaged real estate, personal property and business assets not fully covered by insurance or other aid.

Recovery Summary: Nears $2.75 Milion

A county-by-county breakdown of applications and only disaster housing dollars approved:

County Applications Apps. Approved Approved $$
Berkeley 487 57 $47,144
Charleston 1,946 345 $364,149
Colleton 87 11 $16,201
Dillon 15 0 0
Dorchester 67 0 0
Florence 36 0 0
Georgetown 1,277 251 $223,526
Horry 3,262 859 $1,154,551
Marion 70 2 $1,977
Orangeburg 35 0 0
Williamsburg 451 67 $85,482
Total 7,733 1,592 $1,893,030

Register For Assistance By Telephone

Residents and business owners in the declared counties who sustained storm or flood-related damage or loss between September 14 and 30 should begin the disaster application process by calling toll-free 1 800-462-9029 or 1 800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. Phone lines are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice. Disaster survivors who have completed this teleregistration process can have their specific recovery questions answered by visiting federal and state Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in Conway and Myrtle Beach.

Four Additional Counties Granted Individual Assistance

Residents of Florence, Dorchester, Dillon and Orangeburg counties were declared eligible for federal and state individual assistance due to an Oct. 6 amendment to the President's disaster declaration. With this declaration amendment, homeowners, renters and small business owners in Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, and Orangeburg can now apply for various types of disaster assistance. Disaster assistance includes housing assistance, low-interest loans to repair or replace storm-damaged property, and grants for serious needs and necessary expenses not met by other relief programs. To be considered for these programs, people must apply by calling FEMA's toll-free number.

FEMA Helpline Facilitates Application Updates

People living in declared counties who have already registered for assistance by calling FEMA's toll-free number can access or augment their application with another toll-free call. Registered applicants who want to modify their application or who want to learn the status of their application can call FEMA's toll-free Helpline at 1 800-525-0321 or TTY 1-800-660-8005 for the speech and hearing impaired. The Helpline numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice.

Four Disaster Recovery Centers Close Saturday

Federal and state Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) in Moncks Corner, Georgetown and Charleston are closing at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9. As announced earlier, the Marion DRC also is closing that day. These temporary centers, designed for people who have already applied for assistance, provided residents with recovery specialists to help them update their application, discuss assistance programs, and check on their application status. Individuals living in declared counties need to begin the assistance application process by calling FEMA's toll-free registration number.

Federal And State Funding For Horry County Debris Removal

At Horry County's request for direct federal assistance, the Army Corps of Engineers has contracted for hurricane and flood-related debris removal from unincorporated areas of that county. Debris removal activities are funded on a 75 percent federal and 25 percent non-federal cost sharing basis. Debris for initial pickup is to be separated into three groups: non-burnable, burnable and household hazardous waste that includes chemicals, petroleum products and asbestos materials. Federal and state officials urge people whose properties were flooded to begin the cleanup process immediately. Residents need not wait for FEMA inspectors before they remove potentially hazardous waste from their homes. A list of damaged items or photos of flood-damaged property or both are useful during an inspection.

Disaster Prevention Booth Open at State Fair

Among other attractions at the South Carolina State Fair, opened Oct. 7, is a federal and state disaster prevention booth. Fair goers can learn about the National Flood Insurance Program, "Project Impact," and types of flood and wind mitigation measures. The booth offers free brochures, coloring books, a "FEMA for Kids" computer display, children's safety games, and conversations with mitigation staff. A model "hurricane house," built by Dawson Lumber Company, demonstrates wind resistant construction. The booth promotes FEMA's "Project Impact" goal to remove people from harm's way and support the development of disaster-resistant communities. "Project Impact," a nationwide disaster prevention initiative started in 1997 by FEMA Director James Lee Witt, helps communities take steps to prevent damages before disaster strikes. More than 120 disaster-resistant communities and 1,000 business partners throughout the country are participating in this effort.

Last Modified: Wednesday, 03-Dec-2003 16:03:13