The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved nearly $33 million in aid to help South Carolina communities recover from Hurricane Helene and other recent disasters, officials announced Monday.
Where the money will go
More than $32 million of the award will fund six Public Assistance projects across the state to reimburse local governments and utilities for emergency protective measures, debris removal and utility repairs. The largest single allocation in the package is for reservoir repairs in Greenville.
| Project | Amount |
|---|---|
| Greenville Water: North Saluda and Table Rock reservoir repairs | $30.7 million |
| Aiken County: debris removal | $979,000 |
| Aiken Electric Cooperative Inc.: emergency protective measures | $215,000 |
| City of Seneca: emergency protective measures | $207,000 |
| Clemson University: repair campus fencing | $198,000 |
Mitigation planning funding
In addition to the Public Assistance funds, FEMA is providing $685,200 through its Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to support South Carolina’s 2028 state hazard mitigation planning efforts. Those mitigation planning dollars are intended to help the state identify and prioritize projects and policies that reduce future disaster risk.
Local impact and longer-term concerns
State forestry officials have warned that debris from Hurricane Helene will remain a concern for several years, indicating that cleanup and removal will be ongoing and costly. The FEMA awards will reimburse eligible emergency protective work already completed and support necessary repairs, but do not eliminate all future local spending needs tied to recovery and resilience.
Communities receiving assistance include jurisdictions and entities in the Aiken area, the Upstate and university property. The largest award — the $30.7 million for Greenville Water — targets repair of two reservoirs that supply parts of the Greenville area, reflecting both infrastructure vulnerability and the high cost of restoring critical water resources after major storm damage.
How the funding fits into a national package
The South Carolina awards are part of a larger FEMA announcement that totals more than $348 million for nearly 170 projects nationwide. Federal public assistance and hazard mitigation grants are common federal levers to help states recover from disasters and reduce future risks, but they generally require documentation of eligible costs and often a local match for certain activities.
- Public Assistance funds reimburse jurisdictions and certain private nonprofit organizations for response and recovery costs.
- Hazard Mitigation funds are dedicated to planning and projects that reduce long-term risk to people and property.
What residents should know
Residents and local officials should expect debris removal and repair work to continue as FEMA and state agencies process project applications and reimbursements. Eligible expenses under Public Assistance typically include emergency protective measures, debris removal and emergency repairs to infrastructure. Hazard Mitigation funds are used for planning and projects designed to prevent or lessen the impact of future disasters.
Public inquiries about specific projects, eligibility and timelines are usually handled by county emergency management offices and the state emergency management agency. Local officials must submit documentation of damages and costs before receiving reimbursement.
The reporting for this piece drew on a summary of the FEMA awards and project-by-project figures. Additional reporting and follow-up at the local level will clarify timelines and how the funds are being implemented in the communities named in the FEMA package.
