Colleton County says it was denied individual assistance by FEMA for Tropical Storm Debby recovery

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Colleton County leaders say individual assistance from FEMA related to Tropical Storm Debby has been denied.

The county’s emergency management division, which is through Colleton County Fire Rescue, received a letter of denial for Gov. Henry McMaster’s request for assistance for those affected by the early August storm.

While there is an appeal process, Colleton County officials said there had been no new reports of damage related to Debby after a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment was conducted on Aug. 29.

During that assessment, fire-rescue personnel escorted two teams of FEMA personnel as they visited 80 damaged residences.

Despite the denial, Tropical Storm Debby victims can seek loans through the Small Business Association. These are low-interest, long-term loans designed to repair homes damaged by the storm.

The loans are also payment deferred for one year after they are awarded. Residents have until Nov. 18 to apply and can do so by visiting sba.gov/disaster or calling 1-800-659-2955.

Debby, a hurricane when it made landfall in Florida, trekked through southern Georgia in early August and moved back over the ocean off the South Carolina coast. The storm brought tornadoes, heavy rain, and severe flooding to the area for days, which resulted in rising rivers.