Public Assistance Meetings with Local Officials Announced
Release Date: September 23, 1999
Release Number: 1299-06
» More Information on South Carolina Hurricane Floyd
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Officials of the South Carolina Emergency Preparedness Division (SCEPD) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have announced a schedule of meetings to assist representatives of local governments and qualified private non-profit agencies in applying for disaster assistance made available under President Clinton's disaster declarations. The briefing schedule is as follows:
- For Berkeley, Charleston & Georgetown Counties - Friday, Sept. 24 , 3pm North Charleston City Hall, 4900 Lacross Road, North Charleston
- For Beaufort, Colleton & Jasper Counties - Monday, Sept. 27, 10:30 pm County Council Chambers, Beaufort County Govt. Complex, 100 Ribaut Road, Beaufort
- For Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Dorchester, Hampton & Orangeburg Counties - Monday, Sept. 27, 3 pm Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, U.S. Highway 601, Rm 118, Bldg C, Orangeburg
- For Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Kershaw, Lee, Marion, Marlboro & Williamsburg Counties - Tuesday, Sept. 28, 10 am Florence Civic Center, One Civic Center Plaza, Florence
- For Calhoun, Lexington, Richland & Sumter Counties & State Agencies- Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2 pm SC Forestry Commission, 5500 Broad River Road, Columbia
"These briefings have been arranged to clarify the federal assistance application process, administrative and funding requirements and program eligibility criteria," explained Stan McKinney, State Coordinating Officer. Following each briefing, teams of state and federal inspectors will schedule meetings with local officials to verify eligible project costs.
Prior to Hurricane Floyd's landfall, President Clinton signed a declaration releasing emergency federal funds to 27 South Carolina counties to cover the costs of debris removal and emergency services necessary to meet immediate human needs, protect property and insure public health and safety. In his major disaster declaration issued Sept. 21, the President confirmed that eight of those counties will receive additional types of assistance.
The Sept. 21 declaration expands the original emergency declaration to assist state and affected local government in the following counties with the restoration of damaged public facilities such as roads, bridges and utilities: Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Georgetown, Horry, Jasper and Marion. Funds may also be provided to eligible private non-profit organizations in these counties for the repair of damaged facilities. Grants are provided on a 75% federal, 25% non-federal cost sharing basis.
Nineteen other counties are receiving federal assistance with debris removal and emergency service costs only, as delineated in the President's earlier emergency declaration. Those counties include: Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Hampton, Kershaw, Lee, Lexington, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter and Williamsburg. Additional counties may be added to the declaration after further evaluation of the storm's effects.
In addition, the state and local governments can apply for federal funds on a cost-shared basis to complete approved projects that can reduce future disaster risks. "As the water recedes in these areas," added Bailey, "we will be looking at a variety of measures that might be taken to keep this from happening again as part of our Project Impact initiative."
Through Project Impact: Building Disaster Resistant Communities, FEMA is working with communities across the country to reduce the impact that hurricanes have on people's lives. This major mitigation effort, initiated by Director James Lee Witt in 1997, expands the agency's focus beyond simply responding when disaster strikes to planning for the prevention of future disaster-related damage and loss.
Last Modified: Thursday, 04-Dec-2003 08:53:33