Staff from more than 22 agencies set up in the USC-Aiken Convocation Center to help walk residents harmed by Hurricane Helene through what assistance is available.
Representatives from state agencies including the South Carolina Departments of Health and Human Services, Insurance, Motor Vehicles, and Public Health were joined by FEMA and the Small Business Administration (SBA) from the federal government.
It began as an initiative following a series of destructive floods the Palmetto State experienced beginning in 2015.
“Governor McMaster continued it with several hurricanes,” Brooke Bailey, Director of Strategic Communications for the Department of Administration, told ABD. “It’s where he organizes, with the help of the South Carolina Department of Administration and the South Carolina Office of Resilience, all of these state agencies, federal agencies, local nonprofits, to come together to serve whatever the unmet needs are in the in the area, from whatever disaster may have happened.”
The event in Aiken was for residents of Aiken, Edgefield, and Saluda Counties. It followed earlier events in the South Carolina Upstate.
After registering, residents could go directly to whatever agency would be best able to assist them. For many, that was FEMA.
“Once they go through FEMA, they seek the help that they can get, the second line will be the Office of Resilience,” explained Ben Duncan, Chief Resilience Officer. “We have case managers that just help them with any unmet needs they may have from the hurricane. It could be mental health, it could be food, it could be clothing, it could be temporary shelters. We try to assist them with that. We’re just kind of a continuum of whatever the needs may be.”
Government and non-government organizations (NGOs) were joined by some business representatives, including the South Carolina Association of Realtors.
“Through the Realtor Relief Foundation, which is funded by Realtors across the country for natural disasters, eligible applicants can receive up to $1,000 towards mortgage payment or rental payments if they had damage to their primary residence,” said Tabatha Amodio.
Amodio, who is also a member of the Aiken Association of Realtors, added the funding is available for homeowners and people who are renting.
“If someone is renting a house, and their home was damaged by the storm, and they had to go check into a hotel for a few nights or for a week, or however long, they can get reimbursed for up to $1,000 for that hotel expense,” she said.
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette (R) attended all the earlier events, leading up to the one in Aiken. She said, while other areas suffered serious damage, the sheer magnitude of the number of trees and homes lost in the Midlands demonstrates the destructive power of the storm.
She said Team South Carolina County Days provides a resource for people who may still be without phone and Internet service, along with some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.
“It’s the people that come, they’re coming here because they really don’t know what to do most of the time,” she said. “It’s our seniors, and I think that’s something we have to be very conscious of. My mom will be 96 tomorrow, so I realized firsthand that technology gets way past what our seniors feel comfortable on. And so, this is bringing every single state resource, bringing in FEMA, bringing in local government, and sitting in one room and letting people get the services they need.”
Nikki Gaskins Campbell, a Media Relations Specialist with FEMA, said events like the County Days give the agency the opportunity to counter misinformation and disinformation, regarding FEMA’s programs.
“We are actively present in the state of South Carolina, and Georgia, we’re there, too,” she said. “We’re glad to participate in this event because it gives us the opportunity to reach people directly. However, we do have our Disaster Survivor crews that are going into different areas, trying to register people as well.”
Anyone not able to attend the event in Aiken can still contact FEMA directly. There is a disaster center at The Hub for Community Innovation at 631 Chafee Avenue in Augusta. They can go online to www.disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362. There is also a FEMA app you can download on your Android phone or your Apple phone.
A Team South Carolina County Day for residents of McCormick, Abbeville, and Greenwood counties is set for Tues., Oct. 22 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is at Piedmont Technical College, James Medford Family Event Center, 609 South Emerald Road in Greenwood.
