SOUTH CAROLINA: HURRICANE IAN BI-WEEKLY FACT SHEET – MARCH 3, 2023 [https://www.fema.gov/fact-sheet/south-carolina-hurricane-ian-bi-weekly-fact-sheet-march-3-2023] Release Date: Mar 3, 2023 RECOVERY BY THE NUMBERS FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration have approved $4.8 MILLION IN FEDERAL ASSISTANCE for survivors of Hurricane Ian, which hit South Carolina in SEPT. 2022. This includes: * $2,593,314.39 in FEMA assistance was approved for individuals and households, including: * $2,198,671.77 approved for housing assistance * $394,642.62 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 NEEDS YOUR CURRENT CONTACT INFORMATION * 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. * FEMA may need to call some survivors in CHARLESTON, GEORGETOWN AND HORRY counties to continue processing their application for assistance after Hurricane Ian hit the South Carolina coast in September. FEMA also may contact some survivors to obtain more information for their application. * 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 [https://usfema-my.sharepoint.com/personal/0754192606_fema_dhs_gov/Documents/Desktop/BI-WEEKLY%20FACT%20SHEET/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 may 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 [http://www.lawhelp.org/sc/online-intake]. PROTECT YOUR IDENTIFY: HELP PREVENT FRAUD * Scams can take many different forms, including phone calls, texts, mail or email, websites, or in person. * If you apply to FEMA, you may be visited by an inspector. They will always have an official identification badge. * Be on alert if somebody asks for your nine-digit registration number. FEMA inspectors will never ask for this information. They already have it in their records. * Housing inspectors never charge a fee to inspect your property. * No government disaster assistance official will call you to ask for your financial account information. If you doubt a FEMA representative is legitimate, hang up and call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 to report the incident. STAY IN TOUCH WITH FEMA * South Carolina applicants should update FEMA concerning changes in insurance, current housing situation, phone number, mailing address and your payment preference. Missing or wrong information could delay the financial assistance you may be eligible to receive. When contacting FEMA, refer to the nine-digit number assigned to you when you applied. * Following the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, FEMA stands ready to assist registered survivors in South Carolina and for some time afterwards, as the post-disaster period evolves. Through ongoing contact, * FEMA staff can assist survivors in obtaining the help for which they’re eligible, whether it is funding for temporary shelter or for minor repairs on a home that is a survivor’s primary residence. For the latest information on South Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Ian, visit FEMA.gov/disaster/4677 [https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4677]. You may also follow twitter.com/SCEMD [https://twitter.com/SCEMD]; facebook.com/SCEMD/ [https://www.facebook.com/SCEMD/]; @FEMARegion4/Twitter [https://twitter.com/femaregion4] and Facebook.com/FEMA [https://www.facebook.com/FEMA/].