More Than 6,500 Survivors Receive Crisis Counseling; $8.4 Million Assistance
Release Date: October 19, 1999
Release Number: 1299-32
» More Information on South Carolina Hurricane Floyd
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- More than 6,500 South Carolina residents have already received crisis counseling, outreach services or referral services from the State Department of Mental Health (DMH) since FEMA awarded a grant to the State of almost $100,000 on Oct. 8. The funds provide crisis counseling services to residents of Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Georgetown, Horry, Marion and Williamsburg counties in response to the hardships created by Hurricane Floyd.
"Dealing with the aftermath of any disaster is extremely difficult," said Federal Coordinating Officer Larry Bailey. "Feeling overwhelmed, even depressed is common. People need to know that acknowledging stress is the first step toward feeling better. "
Mental health experts say that disaster-related stress may surface days or even months following the event, and can affect children as well as adults.
The most common symptoms of stress include irritability, anger, fatigue, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, nightmares, sadness, depression, headaches, nausea, hyperactivity, lack of concentration, and increased alcohol and drug abuse.
Eligible residents are encouraged to call the following 24-hour emergency mental health county numbers: Berkeley - 1-888-202-1381; Charleston - 1-843-727-2000; Horry - 1-843-347-4888; Colleton - 1-800-922-7844; Georgetown - 1-843-546-6107; Marion - 1-843-1100, and Williamsburg - 1-843-354-5456 (or 5453).
TOTAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE
Since the Presidential disaster declaration 10,898 disaster survivors in 11 declared counties have applied for assistance, and a total of $8,397,457 has been approved for disaster grants and low-interest loans.
Disaster housing assistance grants, totaling almost $4.3 million for some 3,700 applicants, covers temporary rental assistance or emergency home repair that makes the dwelling safe and habitable. A total of $841,464 also has been approved for approximately 470 people who will receive Individual and Family Grant (IFG) funds for serious, unmet needs that are not covered by other programs.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has approved $3,264,000 in low-interest disaster loans for 119 homeowners, who received $2,990,000, and 17 businesses that received $273,900. Out of 4,058 loan applications issued, SBA officials have had only 659 applications returned. These loan officials urge people who received application packets when they applied for assistance to get those completed documents back to the SBA as soon as possible.
If the loan application is not completed and returned, it may affect other forms of disaster assistance. The deadline to call and apply for disaster assistance is Friday, November 19.
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 nonprofit 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.
A county-by-county breakdown of assistance applications, approved housing dollars, approved IFG applications and approved IFG dollars. Note - Where five or fewer IFG applications have been approved the number is not given (*) to protect the applicants' financial confidentiality.
| County | Apps. | Apps. Approved | Housing Grants | IFG Approved | IFG Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley | 763 | 207 | $ 144,145 | 14 | $ 9,547 |
| Charleston | 2,465 | 678 | $ 701,356 | 172 | $ 286,771 |
| Colleton | 266 | 75 | $ 94,049 | * | $ 6,312 |
| Dillon | 80 | 16 | $ 12,076 | 0 | 0 |
| Dorchester | 159 | 14 | $ 12,463 | 0 | 0 |
| Florence | 152 | 34 | $ 19,301 | 0 | 0 |
| Georgetown | 1,612 | 546 | $ 488,618 | 92 | $ 80,490 |
| Horry | 4,221 | 1,691 | $ 2,244,642 | 165 | $ 419,604 |
| Marion | 136 | 24 | $ 24,354 | 0 | 0 |
| Orangeburg | 202 | 50 | $ 34,703 | * | $ 750 |
| Williamsburg | 842 | 345 | $ 516,286 | 24 | $ 37,990 |
| Total | 10,898 | 3,680 | $ 4,291,993 | 467 | $ 841,464 |
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 must 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 application process can have their specific recovery questions answered by visiting the federal and state Disaster Recovery Center in Conway or the SBA Workshop at Myrtle Beach.
DEBRIS REMOVAL SCHEDULE ADJUSTED
Debris removal efforts are continuing in Horry County. Contractors responded to several calls yesterday and were able to remove debris in areas where floodwaters had risen slightly since Hurricane Irene passed near the area on Sunday. FEMA provides 75 percent of the debris removal costs and the state will cover the remaining 25 percent.
Officials noted that if some areas become inaccessible due to rising water, pick up schedules will be adjusted accordingly. Debris contractors will continue to collect flood and wind-damaged materials and household hazardous waste that include chemicals, petroleum products, paints and asbestos materials. Wind debris will be picked up until Oct. 24, flood debris will continue to be picked up until further notice.
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.
FEMA APPLICATION UPDATES ONLY A PHONE CALL AWAY
People living in declared counties who have applied for assistance by calling FEMA's toll-free number can access or augment their application with another toll-free call. Applicants who want to update information or check on 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. There have been more than 13,000 Helpline calls from South Carolina disaster survivors following Hurricane Floyd.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 03-Dec-2003 14:53:23