FEMA opens disaster recovery centers in Horry County

Chris Pace finally left his waterlogged mobile home Wednesday.

After more than a week surrounded by the Intracoastal Waterway, the 43-year-old landscaper and his wife Terri received federal assistance for emergency housing.

“I get out of the water tonight,” he said, “for the first time.”

Sitting inside the South Strand Recreation Center, the couple talked about their home’s damage with officials from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which opened two disaster recovery centers in Horry County on Wednesday. The Paces visited the one near Holmestown Road. The other is at the North Strand Recreation Center in Little River.

Horry County flood victims became eligible for federal help when President Barack Obama issued a disaster declaration for the county on Oct. 5.

So far, more than 2,000 Horry residents have requested FEMA assistance. County officials are encouraging flood victims who have not registered with the agency to do so.

“That is really the starting point,” said Horry County Emergency Management Director Randy Webster.

Officials are asking residents to register with FEMA before going to the recovery centers. To do this, they can call 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585.

FEMA’s recovery centers are open daily from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m., including weekends. Representatives from the Small Business Administration are also there as well as crisis counselors and advisors who can answer financial and housing questions.

“That is the best place to go,” Webster said.

Even if locals receive a letter stating that their FEMA assistance request has been denied, Webster said there is an appeals process.

“That’s not the end,” he said. “Please understand there are additional programs that may be available. … We don’t want people to miss out on any opportunities.”

During their trip to the South Strand center, the Paces answered questions about water damage and inquired about assistance for the family’s cleaning and lawn care business. Although Chris Pace was able to get a trailer of equipment out before the water rose too high, he lost a pressure washer, a street blower and some other items.

For two years, the couple has lived in Rosewood Estates, just a few blocks from the waterway. His home is elevated, but the flood reached the ductwork underneath the dwelling and soaked the insulation.

For several days, Pace navigated the neighborhood in the Styrofoam bottom of what had been a tiny sailboat. He’d been paid to haul off the hull for a job, but he saved it instead.

Since the waterway invaded his neighborhood, he’s hauled his neighbors and their valuables in the makeshift vessel.

“Thank God I kept it,” he said. “It’s been a blessing.”

April Woolard also stopped by the South Strand center to find out if she qualified for any federal assistance.

During one of the downpours on Oct. 4, Woolard took her Nissan Altima to the Surfside Beach Wal-Mart for milk.

As she headed back to her Azalea Lakes home, the car in front of her struck a pothole and snapped its axle. She tried to avoid hitting the vehicle, then water rushing over the road carried her sedan into a ditch. At one point, the Altima tilted vertically.

Woolard opened the driver’s door to exit, but water started filling the vehicle. She escaped out of a rear door.

“It was scary for a second,” she said.

Kind bystanders helped her out of the ditch. They also let her use a cell phone because she’d left hers at home with her son so he could watch YouTube videos.

Woolard said she didn’t want to take anyone else out in the bad weather, which she admits should have kept her from driving, too.

“It was a learning experience,” she said.

As far as which residents are eligible for FEMA help, county officials are urging all flood victims to request assistance and not to assume they don’t qualify. Some programs are so new that county officials are just learning about them, and local leaders haven’t dealt with such a disaster in long time.

“If you have any damage whatsoever, no matter how minor, please register,” Webster said. “Assistance will come to those who do qualify, but (FEMA) will come out and do an assessment.”

For residents living along the Waccamaw River, officials are waiting until the flood waters recede before assessing damages at those properties. However, Webster stressed that these aid programs will still be available when the water level falls.

“This is not something that’s going to go away in the next few days or the next few weeks,” he said. “FEMA will be here with us for the long haul. No matter how long it takes in order for us to reach everyone who needs to have assistance.”

On Wednesday, the Waccamaw stood at 15.5 feet and officials expect it to remain above 14 feet for the coming days and possibly weeks. Officials plan to continue monitoring river levels, staffing checkpoints and patrolling waters through October and possibly into November.

“We know this is a long-term issue,” Webster said.

Chris Pace is ready to return to normalcy. So are his neighbors.

“When it started raining, one of my older neighbors that’s been there for 35 years said, ‘This is about all it’s going to do,’” he said. “Then the water just kept coming.”

The flood forced Pace to find new homes for his chickens and quail. He joked about being a hobby farmer, but added that his country instincts have served the neighborhood well. After all, it’s his foam boat that’s helped get folks in and out of the community.

“I’ll tell you what,” he said. “My neighborhood needed a country boy. … A country boy will survive.”

This story was originally published October 14, 2015 at 11:04 AM with the headline "FEMA opens disaster recovery centers in Horry County."