Disaster Recovery Centers Opens in Jasper County

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Wednesday, Nov. 09) – A Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) is now open in Jasper County for homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage as a result of Hurricane Matthew.

At the center, specialists from the State of South Carolina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), nongovernmental organizations and the local community are on hand to answer questions and provide information on the types of assistance available to survivors.

The Jasper County DRC is located at:

Jasper Emergency Service Headquarters 1509 Grays Highway

Ridgeland, SC 29966

9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays Closed Sundays until further notice

DRCs are accessible to people with disabilities. The centers have magnifiers, tools to amplify sound, materials in alternative formats, and video remote interpretation. Sign language interpreters are available upon request at the center.

FEMA mitigation specialists are available at DRCs to provide information to survivors on the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and guidance on cost-effective rebuilding and repair techniques to make homes more flood- and wind-resistant.

Survivors who have questions about their flood insurance policies and coverage should contact the NFIP call center at 800-621-3362  (Option 2) between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through

If possible, register for FEMA assistance by phone or online before visiting a center. Going to a DRC is not a requirement of registration, but specialists there can provide guidance regarding disaster recovery and rental resources, explain written correspondence received from FEMA, inform survivors of the status of their application, make referrals to other organizations and answer questions.

To find a complete list of DRC locations and hours, download the free FEMA app to your mobile device or visit asd.fema.gov/inter/locator.

Assistance for eligible survivors can include grants to help pay for temporary housing, essential home repairs, personal property replacement and for other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other sources.

After registering with FEMA, survivors may also be eligible for low-interest disaster loans from the SBA. Disaster loans help fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. SBA offers loans to businesses of all sizes, private non-profit organizations, homeowners and renters.

Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the SBA are available to small businesses and private-nonprofits to assist with working capital needs as a direct result of the disaster. SBA loans are for uninsured or underinsured disaster losses. SBA advises it is not necessary to wait for an insurance settlement before submitting a loan application.

Eligible survivors should register with FEMA even if they have insurance. FEMA cannot duplicate insurance payments, but FEMA may be able to help with uninsured or underinsured losses.

Survivors can  apply online for disaster assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov or by phone at

800-621-3362 (voice, 711 or relay service) or 800-462-7585 (TTY). Lines remain open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.

For more information about the disaster recovery operation, please visit fema.gov/disaster/4286 or the South Carolina Emergency Management Division at scemd.org/recovery-section/ia.

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).