CONWAY, SC (WBTW)- As flood waters are receding in the Conway area, people are able to get back into their homes and businesses to see how much damage they have.
Tuesday was the first day the Reverend and church members at Trinity United Methodist Church were able to go inside and get a look at damage, which they said could be a million dollars.
“The damage is what we were afraid it would be. We have to strip our buildings down to the concrete floor to the two by fours to get rid of the mold and other issues in the water,” said Reverend Dr. Kim Strong.
The sanctuary had water inside, but the church’s education building saw the most damage with two to three feet of water. Some if it still inside, and marks on the wall show how high it went.
The church like many people in this area do not have flood insurance.
“It would be in the six figures for us to have flood insurance because we’ve been flooded so many times,” said Reverend Strong.
Reverend Strong has only been living in Conway and leading the church for a few months.
“This isn’t exactly what we thought when we came, but this is what the good lord had in mind, and I can’t wait to see the good that comes from it,” said Revered Strong.
On Tuesday, he was finally able to get his bible he uses for sermons, and will continue to use to help his 800 church members find strength.
Revered Strong said they have reached out to FEMA and could get assistance from the Small Business Administration.
FEMA has set up disaster recovery centers. The one in Horry County is located at Horry Georgetown Technical College in Conway.
FEMA said when applying for assistance, make sure you have an address of where the damage happened, insurance information, i.d., description of the damage, and papers showing ownership of property or a rental agreement.
FEMA and the SBA work hand in hand to get people back on their feet. FEMA said if you get a letter from the SBA to fill it out. They said it doesn’t mean you won’t get assistance from FEMA, and it’s just part of the process.
If you do get a denial letter from FEMA they said you have 60 days to appeal.
For more information about getting FEMA assistance, or applying online click here.
