Release Date:
mars 17, 2023
Recovery by the Numbers
- FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration have approved $4.9 million in federal assistance for survivors of Hurricane Ian, which hit South Carolina in Sept. 2022. This includes:
- $2,772,279 in FEMA assistance was approved for individuals and households, including:
- $2,369,641 approved for housing assistance
- $402,638 approved for other disaster-related needs
- $2,240,400 in SBA disaster loans was approved for homeowners, renters and businesses
- The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance was Monday, Jan. 23, 2023.
Key Messages
FEMA Rental Assistance
Survivors receiving rental assistance must continue to work on a longer-term housing plan to be eligible for continued rental assistance.
South Carolina homeowners and renters in Charleston, Georgetown and Horry counties who were affected by Hurricane Ian and received initial rental assistance from FEMA may be eligible for continued rental assistance.
Who is eligible
To be eligible, survivors must meet the following conditions:
- They were awarded initial rental assistance and used it as intended. The initial award covers two months.
- They are unable to return to their pre-disaster residence because it is uninhabitable, cannot be accessed or is not available due to Hurricane Ian.
- They cannot pay for housing without assistance.
- They are not receiving temporary housing help from any other source.
- They are developing a longer-term or permanent housing plan or can demonstrate progress toward one.
Why does FEMA Need Your Current Contact Information
- FEMA has awarded an additional $855,000 to 2,763 South Carolinians after conducting targeted case reviews.
- FEMA staff are calling some survivors in Charleston, Georgetown and Horry counties to obtain more information for their application to continue processing their application for assistance after Hurricane Ian hit the South Carolina coast in September.
- After you apply for federal disaster assistance, it is important that FEMA be able to contact you. Be aware that phone calls from FEMA may appear to come from unidentified numbers. Make sure that FEMA has your up-to-date contact information.
- If there are changes in your phone number, current address, banking or insurance information, you should let FEMA know as soon as possible or you may miss important telephone calls or correspondence. You can update your contact information in several ways:
- Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov.
- Call 800-621-3362. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or other services, give FEMA the number for that service. Lines are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Time in most languages, seven days a week.
- Download the FEMA app for smartphones.
Disaster Legal Assistance
- Free Disaster Legal Assistance. Low-income and vulnerable residents affected by Hurricane Ian who cannot afford their own lawyer can still call the toll-free legal hotline at 877-797-2227, Ext. 120, or call the South Carolina line at 803-576-3815 to request assistance. Lines are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.
- Hurricane Ian survivors may also contact South Carolina Legal Services at 888-346-5592 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday or submit a request for disaster legal services at www.lawhelp.org/sc/online-intake.