The following information is provided to you in effort to ease in the rebuilding process for affected facilities:

Note: Specific disaster relief for businesses will not be the same for homeowners.

Insurance claims:
Handled by each individual property and their insurance company.

Disaster Relief:
FEMA is accepting early registration for flood damage assistance: www.disasterassistance.gov  – 800-621-3362 / 800-462-7585 Apparently, when choosing a disaster on the application, you have to select “Disaster has occurred, but not in the list” option.

The US Small Business Administration will make disaster loans available to business owners:

https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance

I. A check on the Small Business Administration’s website indicates that they are making loans in the aftermath of South Carolina (i.e. the Presidential Disaster Relief declaration was all that was needed).

But you still have to start with FEMA. After that you fill out an SBA application. Per the SBA’s website:
After a Presidential disaster declaration, you must first register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). To obtain a registration number, call FEMA at 1-800-621-3362 (TTY: 1-800-462-7585) or visit DisasterAssistance.gov.

The following information is required to complete the SBA online application:

• Contact information for all applicants
• Social security numbers for all applicants
• FEMA registration number
• Deed or lease information
• Insurance information
• Financial information (e.g. income, account balances and monthly expenses)
• Employer Identification Number (EIN) for business applicants www.sba.gov/content/apply-disaster-loan

Here’s the basic data on FEMA assistance and SBA loans.

II. FEMA gives out five categories of individual assistance.

• • Disaster Housing may be available for up to 18 months, using local resources, for displaced persons whose residences were heavily damaged or destroyed. Funding also can be provided for housing repairs and replacement of damaged items to make homes habitable.
  • Disaster Grants, are available to help meet other serious disaster related needs and necessary expenses not covered by insurance and other aid programs. These may include replacement of personal property, and transportation, medical, dental and funeral expenses.
  • Low-Interest Disaster Loans are available after a disaster for homeowners and renters from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to cover uninsured property losses. Loans may be available for repair or replacement of homes, automobiles, clothing or other damaged personal property. Loans are also available to businesses for property loss and economic injury.
  • Other Disaster Aid Programs include crisis counseling, disaster-related unemployment assistance, legal aid and assistance with income tax, Social Security and Veteran's benefits. Other state or local help may also be available.
  • Assistance Process -- After the application is taken, the damaged property is inspected to verify the loss. If approved, an applicant will soon receive a check for rental assistance or a grant. Loan applications require more information and approval may take several weeks after application. The deadline for most individual assistance programs is 60 days following the President's major disaster declaration.

III. SBA gives out four types of loans https://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/loans-
grants/small-business-loans/disaster-loans/types-disaster-loans

• • Home and Personal Property Loans
  • Business Physical Disaster Loans (for any business or organization to help replace or restore damaged property;
  • Economic Injury Disaster Loans (economic injury regardless of physical damage);
  • Military Reservist Economic Injury Loans

SC Unemployment benefits for up to 26 weeks are available from the state: http://www.dew.sc.gov/

Rebuilding efforts (especially around watersheds, creeks, etc.):

SC DHEC: Chuck Hightower - 803-898-0369 or hightocw@dhec.sc.gov
USACOE - http://www.sac.usace.army.mil/Locations.aspx