By the Numbers

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Thursday, Oct. 27) – In the three weeks since Hurricane Matthew struck South Carolina spawning damaging storms and floods, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Small Business Administration have approved more than $21.8 million in disaster assistance grants, loans and flood insurance payments.

As of the close of business Oct. 26, FEMA had approved $15.2 million through its Individuals and Households Program, and nearly $5 million in National Flood Insurance Program payments.

Additionally, the U.S. Small Business Administration has approved 42 low-interest disaster loans for

$1,670,500.

Survivors have until Dec. 13, 2016 to complete the FEMA application process. The State of South Carolina and FEMA encourage anyone with housing needs caused by the devastating storms and floods of Hurricane Matthew to register for disaster assistance.

• Visit DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Call toll-free 800-621-3362 (voice, 711 or video relay services) or 800-462-7585 (TTY). Lines are open daily until further notice.
• Visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) for help. Eight DRCs are operating in Orangeburg (2), Marion (2), Williamsburg, Dorchester, Horry and Florence counties. Representatives from FEMA, SBA and various state agencies are on hand to answer questions.

All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).

You can  receive weather alerts, safety tips and learn about disaster resources by downloading the free FEMA App, available for Apple, Android, and Blackberry mobile devices. Visit fema.gov/mobile-app for more information.

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. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/femaregion4 and the FEMA Blog at http://blog.fema.gov.

The SBA is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster- damaged private property. SBA helps businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center by calling 800-659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s website at  www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call 800-877-8339.