Hurricane Helene Assistance for Survivors

President Biden declared a major disaster for South Carolina on September 29, 2024, based on the impacts of Hurricane Helene. Counties declared for Individual Assistance for Hurricane Helene: Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Jasper, Kershaw, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union, and York counties, and the Catawba Indian Nation. 

Individual Assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can provide a range of help for residents with damage from Hurricane Helene, including financial assistance with repairs, rental assistance, and other household needs. See list below.

To register for Individual Assistance for Hurricane Helene are:

• Online at DisasterAssistance.gov. (This is the fastest way to apply.)
• In person at any Disaster Recovery Center. To find a center close to you, visit fema.gov/DRC, or text DRC along with your Zip Code to 43362 (Example: “DRC 29169”).
• On your phone using the FEMA mobile app.
• By calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Help is available in many languages. The telephone line is open every day. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service.
• For a video with American Sign Language, voiceover and open captions about how to apply for FEMA assistance, select this link.

To register for Small Business Administration low-interest loans for residents and businesses, go to the SBA web site or visit a Disaster Recovery Assistance Center or Business Recovery Center.  

Individual Assistance programs can provide some or all of the following to eligible survivors in declared counties (registered is required to determine eligibility). Eligibility is for costs beyond what property insurance will cover.  

Significant Needs Assistance: $750 for immediate needs for qualifying survivors.

Displacement Assistance: Financial assistance to cover two weeks of rent/housing for residents who are displaced from their homes because of damage from the declared disaster.

Housing Assistance: Those who are displaced from their primary residence and are uninsured or under-insured may be eligible for assistance. This assistance includes temporary housing, housing repair, housing replacement, and in rare instances permanent and semi-permanent housing.

Other Needs Assistance: This can include personal property replacement, transportation, medical, dental, moving and storage, and funeral expenses caused by the disaster. This assistance is a cost share between FEMA and the State.

Disaster Legal Services: Low-income disaster survivors that have disaster-related legal needs including contractor issues, insurance claims, replacing legal documents, and landlord/tenant issues.  

Disaster Unemployment Assistance:  Unemployment and re-employment assistance is available to individuals who lost their business or job due to the disaster.

Crisis Counseling Assistance: A wide range of services are available to assist individuals and communities in recovering from disasters.

Other sources of federal disaster assistance:

Small Business Administration (SBA): In federally declared disasters, as well as in non-federally declared disasters that meet certain thresholds, the SBA can provide loans to individuals and businesses that have sustained disaster-related property or equipment damage, who have suffered a loss of income, or who need funding to cover operating expenses while working to reopen.

Residential physical disaster loans: Homeowners and renters may apply for this loan to repair or replace real estate and/or personal property damaged by a disaster.

Business physical disaster loans: Businesses of any size may apply for this loan to repair or replace property owned by the business that was damaged by a disaster.

Economic injury disaster loans (EIDL): Working capital loans for small businesses, small agriculture cooperatives, and many non-profit organizations affected by disaster to meet financial obligations.

U.S.  Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (USDA FSA) - The USDA FSA provides assistance in the event of crop loss, livestock loss, or damage to farm property resulting from drought, flood, fire, freeze, tornadoes, pest infestation, and other emergencies.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - After a disaster, the IRS is sometimes able to provide tax relief, adjustments, filing deadline extensions, and refunds to help taxpayers and businesses recover financially from the impact of a disaster.