Governor Henry McMaster requested federal support for recovery from Hurricane Florence on Thursday in a letter to the S.C. Congressional Delegation.

A press release from the Office of the Governor says Gov. McMaster sent a letter to SC’s congressional delegation requesting “continued support as the state begins to focus on recovery efforts prior to expected flooding as a result of Hurricane Florence’s historic rainfall.”

McMaster’s letter to the SC Congressional Delegation reads, in part:

“The rainfall and flooding in North Carolina is sending unheard of amounts of water into South Carolina along the Lynches, Great Pee Dee, Little Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers. The damage in the northeastern part of our state will be catastrophic, surpassing anything recorded in modern history.”

McMaster states in the letter he has asked President Trump to authorize federal disaster recovery funds in multiple public assistance categories as well as individual assistance for 23 SC counties through FEMA. These counties include:  Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Chester, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Fairfield, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter, Williamsburg, and York counties.

According to McMaster’s letter, public assistance can include funding to support repairs of roads and bridges and funding for water control facilities, building and equipment replacement, and restoration and repairs for utilities. Individual assistance “can be granted to persons for temporary housing, home repairs for individuals, dollars towards home replacement, and some other necessary needs.”

In his letter, Gov. McMaster included “preliminary estimates of the financial impact of the storm” from the South Carolina Emergency Management Division and the State Disaster Recovery Office, according to the release. These estimates are:

  • Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery ($540 million)
  • Disaster Relief Fund ($300 million)
  • Federal Highway Administration ($18 million)
  • Agriculture ($125 million)
  • Small Business Administration ($80 million)
  • National Flood Insurance Program ($165 million)

Gov. McMaster’s full letter, as well as letters from SCDRC and SC Military Department’s Office of the Adjutant General to Gov. McMaster, can be read here.