Despite Colleton County receiving record rainfall, two EF-1 tornadoes and the highest Edisto river levels since 1945, we are happy to report there have been no injuries or deaths so far as a result of TS Debby.
Colleton County Fire-Rescue, Colleton County Sheriffs Office, Colleton County Animal Services, Charleston Fire Department and the SC National Guard performed 16 water rescues over the weekend, saving the lives of 30 people, 7 dogs, a cat, and a rabbit. First responders are still actively responding to incidents along the Edisto River, and officials are gearing up for recovery efforts.
As we begin recovering from this incident, it is important to photograph any storm related damage prior to making any repairs. This will be required by FEMA and/or your insurance company. Several personnel have been deployed to affected areas to conduct damage assessments, but a large number of residences remain inaccessible. Once the damage assessments have been completed this information will be submitted to the South Carolina Emergency Management Division, who will compile the information for the Governor. Based on the data, the Governor can request the President to declare a disaster for our area. The disaster declaration may take a week or two to occur.
If Colleton County receives a disaster declaration, there are several FEMA programs that may be available including low-interest loans to affect repairs to your home and/or individual assistance (IA) grants. Keep in mind that the maximum IA grant a citizen can expect to receive is $42,500 but less than 1% of applicants will receive the maximum amount. The average IA applicant receives around $1500. This is why homeowners insurance should remain your primary line of defense for events such as this one. If you have sustained damage to your home, you can download the SCEMD Emergency Manager App from https://www.scemd.org. After you install the application, you will be able to upload pictures of your damages. Alternatively, you can call the Colleton County Emergency Operations Center at 843-549-5632 and someone will gladly assist you record your information, and compile it with the ongoing damage assessments.
As always, if you have an emergency please call 911, if you have a question that is not related to an emergency please call the Colleton County EOC at 843-549-5632.