RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — Richland County damage assessors, along with Columbia officials, FEMA, and SCEMD revisited spots across the county Thursday that they responded to during the storm, to look at the destruction to homes and businesses.
It's the latest in Richland County's effort to get on the list of several counties that are eligible for grants through FEMA’s Expedited Major Presidential Disaster Declaration. The county said in a press conference Tuesday that they did not neglect to take steps to get the federal aid and they were still trying to become eligible.
According to a press release from Richland County, SCEMD told county officials that in order to qualify, they needed to identify 25-50 homes that were destroyed during Tropical Storm Helene. The county said the walkthroughs would help assist in that.
"The range of damage we’ve seen is fairly minor to as significant as total loss of homes," said Columbia Fire Department Assistant Chief of Operations Anthony Holloway.
Crews with his department and others with the City of Columbia stepped in to help the county with the assessments by surveying spots in city limits that the city had gotten calls for service to during the storms.
"Part of recovery is to get a complete assessment of the damage that’s been done for all of our residents. By our crews being out and working with other city and county agencies to get the assessment done it expedited the process so our residents can get relief," said Holloway.
A press release from Richland County said that assessments will take several days. Residents can report hurricane-related damage and share photos by calling 803-576-3439 or emailing information to the County Ombudsman.