DARLINGTON, SC (WBTW) – FEMA representatives are urging Darlington County residents to sign up for hurricane assistance after one group reported lower-than-expected turnout.
According to the Darlington County Long-term Recovery Group, the number of FEMA registrations is lower than the amount of people who initially notified FEMA of various types of damage to their homes. The DCLTRG says there are a few reasons why residents may not be reaching out for assistance. One of those is “disaster fatigue.” They say some residents may feel jaded or discouraged after going through the registration process after the flooding of 2015 or Hurricane Matthew in 2016. The DCLTRG says “these residents are aware of how involved the registration process is and are reluctant to go through it again, more so if they were unsuccessful receiving funding.”
Issa Mansaray, FEMA’s external affairs and media relations specialist, not to get discouraged.
“Never feel any fatigue. This is a disaster. It happens at any time. So we are just asking you to come to this center,” he said. “Come with your questions, come with whatever letter that you have received from FEMA. that is why FEMA is here. We try to make sure we come. The DRCs [Disaster Recovery Centers] are in places where people are. We bring the DRCs to them.”
Another reason the DCLTRG cited was people being financially-stable enough to recover without FEMA’s help. They say these residents may feel that, if they seek hurricane assistance, they would be taking resources from someone else who has less money. No matter the reason, officials are urging residents to seek help if they need it.
“We are here. We are here for the survivors. Our focus is to make them come here and send them to information to get the materials to them. So they can start their new lives,” said Mansaray.
The third reason is people not knowing where or how to register. Darlington’s Disaster Recovery Center is located inside the South Carolina National Guard Armory. It’s open on Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. The last day to register for FEMA assistance is November 20.