SC Emergency Management Division Press Release

South Carolina Storm Survivors Urged To Register For Disaster Assistance

 

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Homeowners, renters and business owners affected by the recent flooding in South Carolina can now register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster assistance.

 The presidential disaster declaration makes federal assistance available to eligible individuals and business owners in Berkeley, Charleston, Clarendon, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter and Williamsburg counties.

Survivors in the designated South Carolina counties can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov. Applicants may also call 800-621-3362 or (TTY) 800-462-7585. If you use Video Relay Services, call 800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 24 hours a day until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.

Assistance can include money for temporary housing and essential home repairs, and for other serious disaster-related needs, such as medical and dental expenses or funeral and burial costs. Low-interest disaster loans from the Small Business Administration may also be available to cover losses not fully compensated by insurance.

 South Carolina survivors should register with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but under-insured applicants may receive help after their insurance claims have been settled.

 For questions about flood insurance, National Flood Insurance Program policyholders can call 800-621-3362, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. until further notice.

Registering with FEMA is required for federal aid, even if a survivor has registered with another disaster-relief organization. FEMA registrants must use the name that appears on their Social Security card.

 

Applicants will be asked for the following information:

•  Social Security number
• Address of the damaged home or apartment
• Description of the damage
• Information about insurance coverage
• A current contact telephone number
• An address where they can receive mail
• Bank account and routing numbers for direct deposit of funds

 

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

 

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

 

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.