Fact Sheet
South Carolina Disaster Recovery
November 25, 2015
Register for Assistance
• Survivors in 24 South Carolina counties are eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance
program.
o There are several ways to register. Survivors don’t have to wait for Disaster
Survivor Assistance teams working in their communities to visit their homes.
 Online: www.DisasterAssistance.gov
 By phone: 800-621-3362 toll free from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Multilingual
operators are available.
 Survivors who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a
TTY may call 800-462-7585. Survivors who use 711 or Video Relay Service
or require accommodations while visiting a center may call: 800-621-3362.
 In person: For DRC locations, visit:
http://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm. Survivors may also speak with a
Disaster Survivor Assistance team member in their communities. It is not
necessary to visit a DRC.
• Survivors who register with a voluntary agency are not registered for federal assistance.
• Survivors should contact their insurance companies first before registering with FEMA.
• FEMA Housing Portal, http://go.usa.gov/3ST2T, is activated to help locate available rental
units. Verify by phone that the unit is still available before visiting the property.
• Survivors needing an accommodation or assistance because of a disability or limited
English proficiency should immediately notify FEMA staff.
After Registering
• A booklet called “Help After a Disaster: Applicant’s Guide to the Individuals and
Households Program” will answer many survivor questions.
Types of Assistance Available
• Grants can help pay for temporary housing; emergency home repairs; personal property
losses; medical, dental and funeral expenses; and other serious disaster-related expenses.
• U.S. Small Business Administration provides low-interest disaster recovery loans.
• Disaster Unemployment Assistance may be available to those who lost jobs or businesses.
Apply at: https://mybenefits.dew.sc.gov or call: 866-831-1724. Deadline varies by county:
Nov. 26 for Greenville and Spartanburg.
• Legal assistance is available at no charge to survivors. Call: 877-797-2227 Ext. 120 or 803576-3815 from 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
“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.”
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Meeting with Survivors
• Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams
o DSA teams are visiting neighborhoods in the storm-damaged counties. These teams
offer survivors help registering for assistance and updating information on their
application. They also help connect homeowners, renters, business owners and
community organizations with other necessary resources.
o DSA members wear blue FEMA shirts and have official FEMA photo ID.
• Inspectors
o FEMA inspectors may contact survivors about their storm-damaged homes to
schedule an inspection within seven to 10 days after an application is filed.
o FEMA contract inspectors do not charge for this service.
o Inspectors carry official FEMA photo ID and ask applicants to show proof of
identity. Applicants should ask for ID from anyone claiming to represent FEMA.
o Homeowners should identify all known damage and inform inspectors if the
property has a septic system or well.
o The average inspection takes 10 to 20 minutes.
• Other contacts
o Others who may contact survivors include insurance adjusters, local building
inspectors, volunteer agency representatives and SBA specialists. No fees will be
requested for any of these services.
FEMA Determination Letters
• All survivors receive letters from FEMA explaining the status of their application. Should
they require more information or clarification, they can call the FEMA helpline at 800-6213362 or TTY 800-462-7585.
• Applicants who receive letters that say they are ineligible for disaster assistance can also
use the helpline to get information on how to appeal the determination. Appeals to FEMA
determination letters must be filed within 60 days of receipt. Specialists at the disaster
recovery centers can help with appeals.
• FEMA is calling South Carolina survivors who applied for assistance and received
ineligibility letters, to take another look at their cases.
• Reasons for ineligibility include insufficient damage to essential living areas, preexisting
conditions, flood insurance coverage, ownership or occupancy not verified, secondary
homes.
• Some applicants were referred to the U.S. Small Business Administration loan program.
Survivors of damaged homes who believe they can’t afford or won’t qualify for an SBA
loan should still apply as they may be eligible to receive other types of FEMA grants.
• If FEMA is unable to help, applicants are referred to 211, where they are matched with
appropriate volunteer agencies.
FEMA Help for Disaster-Related Reburial Costs
• FEMA can assist with reburial expenses for coffins that were forced from graves if the
grave was in a family burial plot or a privately owned cemetery not operating as a licensed
cemetery.
• The person who incurred the expenses must register for FEMA assistance to request help.
“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.”
Federal Emergency Management Agency
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For more information call 800-621-3362. People who are deaf, hard of hearing or have
speech disabilities should call 800-462-7585 (TTY); those who use 711/VRS may call 800621-3362.
Items that may qualify for assistance include:
o casket or urn
o burial plot or cremation niche
o marker or headstone
o cost of identifying disinterred human remains, if necessary
o any additional expenses mandated by state, tribal or local statutes
Fraud
• Residents should report any suspicious activity or potential fraud.
• Ask to see credentials and contact local law enforcement if there is suspicion of an attempt
to defraud. Do not pay in advance for services.
• For information on spotting and reporting fraud, contact the South Carolina Department of
Consumer Affairs at 800-922-1594 or visit www.consumer.sc.gov.
Donations
• Avoid charities soliciting door-to-door.
• The best way to donate help is to make a monetary contribution to one of the many
Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.
• Charitable agencies are listed on South Carolina’s Emergency Management Division’s
website: scemd.org.
Secretary of Agriculture Disaster Declaration for South Carolina
• The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture’s disaster declaration makes all qualified farm operators
in the 29 designated and 13 contiguous counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency.
• FSA has other programs that can provide assistance, but do not require a disaster
declaration. To learn more, visit http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov. Farmers and ranchers may also
visit DisasterAssistance.gov for information about assistance.
• The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is
available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses.
With the exception of aquaculture enterprises, SBA cannot provide disaster loans to
agricultural producers, farmers or ranchers. For more information, visit
https://www.sba.gov/offices/disaster/dfoce/resources/1495740.
U.S. Small Business Administration
• SBA’s Business Recovery Centers are open to assist homeowners and businesses in
applying for low-interest disaster loans. Center locations and hours: Trident United Way
Building, 6296 Rivers Ave., Suite 304, North Charleston (Charleston); Conway Chamber of
Commerce, 203 Main St., Conway (Horry); Columbia Chamber of Commerce, 930
Richland St., Columbia (Richland); Sumter County Civic Center, 700 W. Liberty St.,
Sumter (Sumter County). Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
“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.”
Federal Emergency Management Agency
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Survivors of damaged homes who believe they can’t afford or won’t qualify for an SBA
loan should still apply as they may be eligible to receive other types of FEMA grants.
SBA customer service representatives are collocated with FEMA at the disaster recovery
centers to assist with SBA applications and answer questions.
For more information, visit the SBA website, www.sba.gov/disaster, or call SBA’s disaster
assistance Customer Service Center at: 800-659-2955. (Individuals who are deaf, hard of
hearing or have speech disabilities and use a TTY may call 800-877-8339. If you use 711 or
Video Relay Service, call 800-659-2955.)
Do not wait for an insurance settlement to apply for a low-interest disaster loan from the
SBA.
Mitigation Outreach
• FEMA mitigation specialists are available to survivors Nov. 28 - Dec. 1 at these locations:
o Charleston County, Lowe’s, 1104 Market Center Blvd., Mount Pleasant
o Darlington County, Lowe’s, 819 S. Fourth St., Hartsville
o Dorchester County, ACE, 5726 Memorial Blvd., St. George
o Greenwood County, Lowe’s, 513 Bypass 72 NW, Greenwood
o Horry County, Home Depot, 620 Hwy 17 N., North Myrtle Beach
o Richland County, Home Depot, 285 Forum Dr., Columbia
National Flood Insurance Program
• The National Flood Insurance Program call center serves and supports policyholders. Call
800-621-3362 (press 2 for NFIP). Hotline hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
• Substantial damage inspections and decisions occur at the local level based on local
criteria and ordinances. Property owners with questions or concerns about substantial
damage should direct their inquiries to their local officials.
Summary
• Twenty-four counties are designated for Individual Assistance: Bamberg, Berkeley,
Calhoun, Charleston, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dorchester, Fairfield,
Florence, Georgetown, Greenville, Greenwood, Horry, Kershaw, Lee, Lexington,
Marion, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Spartanburg, Sumter and Williamsburg.
• Thirty-five counties are designated for Public Assistance: Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale,
Anderson, Bamberg, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Chesterfield,
Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Fairfield, Florence, Georgetown,
Greenwood, Horry, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro,
McCormick, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Sumter and
Williamsburg.
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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.”