FEMA is committed to helping all eligible disaster survivors in 28 South Carolina counties and the Catawba Indian Nation recover from Hurricane Helene, including U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals and qualified aliens.
Disaster survivors in the eligible counties may apply for assistance from FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP). You or a member of your household must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified alien.
If you do not meet the status of either U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified alien, your household may still apply for assistance if:
- Another adult member of your household meets the eligibility criteria and certifies their citizenship status during the application process or signs the Declaration and Release form, or
- The parent or guardian of a minor child who is a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or a qualified alien applies for assistance on behalf of the child living in the same household. The parent or legal guardian must register as the co-applicant, and the child must be under age 18 at the time the disaster occurred.
Legal Status
FEMA will not proactively provide applicant information to immigration or law enforcement organizations.
Qualified Aliens
“Qualified alien” includes:
- A legal permanent resident (“green card” holder).
- An asylee, refugee or an alien whose deportation is being withheld.
- An alien paroled into the U.S. for at least one year.
- An alien granted conditional entry (per law in effect prior to April 1, 1980).
- A Cuban or Haitian entrant.
- Aliens in the U.S. who have been abused, subject to battery or extreme cruelty by a spouse or other family/ household member or have been a victim of a severe form of human trafficking.
Non-Citizen Nationals
A non-citizen national is a person born in an outlying possession of the U.S. – for example, the Republic of the Marshall Islands -- on or after the date the U.S. acquired the possession, or a person whose parents are U.S. non-citizen nationals. All U.S. citizens are U.S. nationals, but not every U.S. national is a U.S. citizen.
Qualified Minor Children
The parent or guardian of a child living in the same household may apply for assistance on behalf of the minor child who is a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien. The child must be under age 18 as of September 25, 2024, the first day of the incident period.
Resources
See Citizenship and Immigration Status Requirements for Federal Public Benefits for more information in multiple languages at fema.gov/assistance/individual/program/citizenship-immigration-status.
If you’re unsure of your immigration status, talk to an immigration expert to learn if your status falls within the immigration status requirements for FEMA disaster assistance. Visit nvoad.org/ to learn about other voluntary organizations.
How To Apply for FEMA Assistance
Homeowners and renters in 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 can apply for federal assistance.
The quickest way to apply is to go online to DisasterAssistance.gov. To get in-person assistance, you can visit any Disaster Recovery Center. To find a center close to you, please go to fema.gov/drc or text “DRC” and a Zip Code to 43362.
You can also apply using the FEMA App for mobile devices or calling toll-free 800-621-3362. The telephone line is open every day. Help is available in many languages. 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. FEMA programs are accessible to survivors with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.
FEMA programs are accessible to survivors with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.