South Carolina Disaster Relief Program: What Is Open Now, Helene Repairs, SBA Loans, and FEMA

How the South Carolina disaster relief program works

Disaster help in South Carolina comes from several offices, and each one opens at a different moment:

• SCEMD runs the state's emergency response, shelters, and evacuation plans. After a big event, it asks the governor to request a federal declaration. Its Help for Individuals page lists every type of aid and phone number.
• FEMA gives grants to households only when the President approves a major disaster declaration that includes Individual Assistance for your county.
• The SBA lends money to homeowners, renters, businesses, and nonprofits. Its loans can open with or without a FEMA declaration.
• SCOR, the state Office of Resilience, runs long-term rebuilding programs paid for by HUD disaster recovery grants. These open months or years after a storm.
• SC DSS runs Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) when USDA approves it, and the SC Department of Employment and Workforce runs Disaster Unemployment Assistance.

Your county emergency management office and 211 are the best places to learn what is open for your address after any storm.

Help that is open or recently closed

This table was built from FEMA's public data, SBA notices, and state program pages on November 13, 2026.

If nothing in the table fits you, that is common between big storms. Local charities, 211, and the help listed under food, jobs, and legal help below can still help with smaller emergencies like a house fire.

FEMA declarations for South Carolina since 2024

FEMA's public OpenFEMA declarations data lists these South Carolina declarations from January 2024 through November 13, 2026. Only one included grants for individual households.

When a declaration says "public assistance only," FEMA pays local governments and some nonprofits to fix roads, debris, and public buildings. It does not pay households.

Hurricane Helene home repair through SCOR

Hurricane Helene in September 2024 left damage that many families still have not fixed. The state uses a HUD Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery to pay for repairs, and SCOR runs it as the South Carolina Hurricane Helene Recovery Program. The program says it can:

• Repair, rebuild, or replace single-family homes that the owner lives in.
• Buy out owner-occupied homes in a floodplain, if the owner wants to sell.
• Repair single-family rental units so they stay affordable.

It expects to serve about 700 homeowners and gives priority to households with extremely low to low income, anyone with a disability, people 65 and older, and families with children 17 or younger.

Counties and requirements

According to the program's How to Apply page, the home must be in Abbeville, Aiken, Anderson, Cherokee, Edgefield, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Saluda, Spartanburg, or Union County. You must have owned and lived in the home at the time of the storm, still own it, and have storm damage that has not been repaired. The program also reviews any storm money you already received, so funds are not paid twice.

Bring a government photo ID, birth certificates for children 17 and under, proof of income for adults (such as recent pay stubs or a benefit letter), proof of disability if it applies, and proof you own the home, such as a deed, mortgage statement, or tax bill. Mobile home owners can use a title or bill of sale.

How to apply

Call 1-844-410-8560, apply online through the program portal linked from its site, use the program's mobile app, or visit an office. The program lists offices in Aiken, Greenville, and Greenwood, open weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and holds mobile intake events in smaller towns. An earlier version of the site said intake would run until late January 2026, but the How to Apply page now says the program is accepting applications, so call to confirm before you gather papers.

SBA disaster loans in South Carolina

SBA disaster loans are the help most likely to be open at any given time, because the SBA can act after a USDA drought designation or a governor's request, even without a FEMA declaration. These are loans, not grants, so they must be repaid.

2026 drought loans

Three SBA notices from June 2026 cover drought losses across much of the state. They offer Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) for working capital to small businesses, small farm cooperatives, nurseries, and private nonprofits, even without physical damage. The SBA says loans can be up to $2 million at rates as low as 4 percent for businesses and 3.625 percent for nonprofits, with terms up to 30 years, and no interest or payments for the first 12 months. Farmers and ranchers themselves are not eligible for these SBA loans, except aquaculture businesses; they should ask USDA's Farm Service Agency instead.

• Drought beginning Feb. 10: Berkeley, Charleston, Clarendon, Colleton, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Orangeburg, and Williamsburg counties. Deadline Dec. 15, 2026.
• Drought beginning Feb. 17: Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, and Williamsburg counties. Deadline Dec. 21, 2026.
• Drought beginning April 28: 25 counties including Aiken, Lexington, Richland, Sumter, and Orangeburg. Deadline Jan. 19, 2027.

Winter storm and Walhalla fire

The SBA's Federal Register notice for DR-4908 lets private nonprofits that provide essential government-type services in Greenville, Oconee, and Pickens counties apply for economic injury loans until Jan. 7, 2027, at 3.625 percent. The physical damage deadline passed on June 10, 2026. For the Sept. 17, 2026 fire on Walhalla's Main Street, the SBA's Oct. 9, 2026 declaration offers economic injury loans to small businesses, small farm cooperatives, and private nonprofits in Oconee County and the neighboring Anderson and Pickens counties (plus nearby counties in Georgia and North Carolina), at 4 percent for businesses and 3.625 percent for nonprofits. The deadline is July 9, 2027.

To apply, use the SBA's online portal or call the SBA at 800-659-2955. General loan rules are on the SBA disaster assistance page.

When FEMA household aid opens

If a future storm brings a declaration with Individual Assistance, apply at DisasterAssistance.gov or call 800-621-3362. FEMA's Individuals and Households Program can pay for basic home repairs, temporary housing, and other needs like replacing essential items, medical costs, or a damaged car. SCEMD says the maximum for fiscal year 2026 is $44,800 for housing help and a separate $44,800 for other needs, and that most people get far less. FEMA grants do not have to be repaid.

FEMA will not pay for anything your insurance already covers, so file insurance claims first and keep every letter. If you have flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program, SCEMD notes you may be able to get an advance on your claim. Watch for scams: FEMA and SBA never charge a fee to apply.

Food, jobs, and legal help after a disaster

D-SNAP. After Helene, USDA let SC DSS run Disaster SNAP in 28 counties and the Catawba Indian Reservation. USDA's South Carolina disaster nutrition page shows phone applications in two phases in mid-November 2024 and in-person sites in early December 2024. The same page now says there are no active responses. If you already get SNAP and lost food in a power outage, ask DSS about replacing it. To estimate a regular SNAP benefit, try our SNAP calculator.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance. DUA opens only after a declaration with Individual Assistance. It covers people who lost work because of the disaster and cannot get regular unemployment, including many self-employed workers. SCEMD says to apply through SC DEW's MyBenefits portal or call 866-831-1724, and that the window closes 30 days after DUA is announced for a county.

Legal help. The South Carolina Bar's Disaster Legal Services gives free help to low-income survivors with contractor problems, insurance claims, lost documents, and landlord issues after a declared disaster.

Rent and bills. For help that is not tied to a disaster, see our guides to South Carolina rent relief and South Carolina utility relief. You can also dial SC 211 any time.

Getting ready before the next storm

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, according to the National Hurricane Center, so this season ends in a few weeks. Winter storms and wildfires can still bring declarations in the off-season, as January 2026 showed. A few steps now make any future claim easier:

• Know your zone. Coastal residents can look up their evacuation zone on the state's Know Your Zone page, which is part of the South Carolina Hurricane Guide.
• Review your insurance. Standard homeowners and renters policies do not cover flooding. Flood policies usually take 30 days to start.
• Photograph your home and belongings now, and store copies of IDs, deeds, and policies online or in a waterproof bag.
• Strengthen your roof. Coastal homeowners can ask about SC Safe Home, a state grant run by the SC Department of Insurance for roof and wind upgrades. Funding opens in rounds and can run out, so check the department's site for the current round.
• Sign up for alerts through SCEMD and your county, and keep a radio and spare batteries.

The federal Ready.gov hurricane guide has checklists for supply kits and family plans.

First steps after storm damage

1. Stay safe. Avoid downed lines and floodwater, and do not go back into a damaged home until officials say it is safe.
2. Take photos and video of all damage before you clean up, and keep receipts for repairs, hotels, and supplies.
3. Call your insurer right away and write down the claim number.
4. Report damage to your county emergency management office. Local damage reports are what lead to a federal declaration.
5. Watch for a declaration. If your county gets Individual Assistance, apply with FEMA. If you are offered an SBA loan application, fill it out, because that can open other help.
6. Use licensed contractors. Check licenses through the state licensing board and never pay in full up front.
7. Get free help. Dial 211, ask Crisis Cleanup about volunteer debris removal, and ask the SC Bar about legal help.

Related guides

• North Carolina disaster relief program
• Tennessee disaster relief program
• South Carolina hardship program
• Disasters and emergencies

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information. Disaster programs, counties, and deadlines are set by FEMA, the SBA, and South Carolina agencies and can change quickly. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with any government agency.