Michael Strickland wades through floodwaters with neighbors to inspect damage to his family’s home in Spartanburg following Tropical Storm Helene. Lawson’s Fork Creek, which runs behind the home, swelled during the storm and poured three feet of water into the house. (Provided by the Strickland family)
COLUMBIA — South Carolinians who need help applying for natural disaster aid can go to one of five centers now operating in the state.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has opened Helene recovery centers at the Nancy Carson Library in North Augusta, Anderson County Library in Anderson, the Barnwell Regional Airport, the Freetown Community Center in Greenville and the Batesburg-Leesville Fire Station for people who want to sign up for aid in person rather than applying online or over the phone.
Hours and days of operation vary by center.
With the addition of Beaufort and Fairfield counties, federal money is now available to South Carolinians in 28 of the state’s 46 counties, as well as residents of the Catawba Indian Reservation, seeking to recover and rebuild after Tropical Storm Helene.
Uninsured and underinsured homeowners and renters in approved areas are eligible for aid to cover the cost of home repairs, temporary housing and replacement of essential household items. Storm victims can also use the funding for things like food, diapers, formula and medicine.
Residents can get a maximum of $85,000 through the program — up to $42,500 for housing assistance and $42,500 for other needs.
As of Monday, FEMA had approved more than $126 million in federal money for more than 144,000 people in South Carolina to pay for costs not covered by insurance.
All but $6.4 million of that so far has gone to pay for more immediate personal needs: Replacing medications that may have been lost or gone bad when people lost power, buying water and food, reimbursing for the cost of chainsaws and generators, covering the cost of medical care from storm-related injuries or child care while parents were busy with storm cleanup.
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The U.S. Small Business Association also approved Gov. Henry McMaster’s request for low-interest disaster loans available to homeowners, renters and small business owners, which include rental property owners, in the 28 FEMA-approved counties, as well as neighboring counties of Berkeley, Calhoun, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dorchester, Lancaster, Lee and Sumter.
Homeowners can apply for loans up to $500,000 for home repairs. Homeowners and renters are eligible for loans up to $100,000 to repair or replace personal property.
Two types of loans — physical damage and economic injury — are available to small businesses, farmers and non-profits. Physical damage loans can be used to pay for repairs and equipment replacement not covered by insurance. Economic injury loans can be used to pay for health care benefits, rent, utilities and debt payments. Those eligible can apply for both types of loans but the maximum combined amount available is $2 million.
Interest rates for these loans are as low as 2.8% for homeowners and renters and as low as 4% for businesses, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue and monthly payments are not due for the first year.