Though nearly 3,200 Clarendon County households have applied for aid with the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the Small Business Administration, local and state officials are urging even more residents to go and register.
Both agencies, along with other state and federal agencies providing disaster relief, are available through 7 p.m. daily at the Clarendon Community Center behind Weldon Auditorium.
“The thing I’m concerned about is the fact that there are people out there with potential damages that FEMA or the SBA can help with, but they’re not going to apply for one reason or another,” said County Administrator David Epperson. “Either folks think they can take care of it on their own, or they don’t think the damage is bad enough to get any help. Or they’ve heard from someone else who got rejected after applying for assistance.”
“Either way, they still need to go and apply,” Epperson said.
By the start of the Team South Carolina event hosted Monday at the Clarendon Community Center by Gov. Nikki Haley’s office, FEMA spokesman Mike Wade said 3,082 households had applied for assistance. During a talk with residents in need, Haley urged them to apply for federal aid.
“The aid we get as a state is dependent upon our numbers of folks who apply,” Haley said.
Epperson said there is a misconception about the role of FEMA in disaster relief.
“The thing the public needs to realize is FEMA is a stopgap: They’re there to stop the immediate bleeding,” Epperson said. “They’re there as a safety measure, as a life and limb sort of thing. They’re there to help you in the interim and other programs are there to help you out long term.”
Wade agreed.
“The maximum amount of assistance for an individual is $33,000,” Wade said. “There are frustrations because folks don’t get that maximum amount, and even when they do, they find it’s not enough to make their home back to how it was before the disaster.”
But, Wade noted, FEMA’s role is not to make the home “how it was.”
“FEMA’s role is to make the home livable,” he said.
Returning the home to it’s pre-disaster state is the goal of the SBA, which can provide long term, low-interest loans for periods as long as 30 years.
“The SBA comes in with the ability to make a homeowner or business owner whole again,” said SBA Public Affairs Specialist Tom Nocera. “This money is available in a larger sum for individuals– up to $40,000 initially – and it’s almost immediate capital to help with your repairs.”
And the SBA covers more than just homes.
“Renters who lost a car or personal property, lost clothing or TV set and everything else they own was ruined? They can borrow up to $40,000,” Nocera said. “The interest rate is under 2 percent with a payback for up to 30 years on that maximum amount.”
Homeowners can get up to an additional $200,000 for their home repairs.
“If you need to elevate the home, due to being declared in a flood plain, and now you need to elevate, this can help with that,” Nocera said. “And if you have the loan, we require that you get flood insurance that covers the home.”
Wade said the process begins with the FEMA application.
“If FEMA then denies you, you will be referred to the SBA,” he said. “A lot of times, the SBA will then refer you back to FEMA if there are funding caps they can’t cover.”
Wade said that FEMA can be hindered by insurance claims.
“We cannot duplicate the assistance you get from your insurance company,” he said. “So, we do require that proof of your insurance company denying your claim.”
Nocera said the SBA does not need such documentation.
“We are not waiting on that,” he said. “So, we’re able to get that funding for individuals and homeowners and business owners much more quickly.”
Both men said that residents shouldn’t feel bashful about applying.
“People in this area need to apply as soon as possible,” he said.
Residents and business owners have until Dec. 4.
“You have to make your application with FEMA by then, or you’re out of luck,” Epperson said. “I just want to encourage all residents of the county, if they feel like they have storm-related damage or not, apply with FEMA. This is also regardless of whether you think you will get funding or not. The determinations are made on an individual basis.”
Wade said FEMA will check properties on individual bases.
“For that reason, you may not think you had any water damage, but what if there was some damage you’re unaware of,” Epperson said. “And then you find it after Dec. 4? Then you have no way of filing with FEMA. So, it’s best to go ahead and file no matter what.”
Epperson said that non-profit and faith-based organizations who have experienced flood-relate damages have to apply with FEMA and the SBA by Wednesday.
“It does serve a purpose in the long run to come in and fill it out,” he said. “If they don’t want to come down to the Community Center, they can go online and apply. Once Dec. 4 passes, you can’t apply for anything.”
