Gov. Haley visits Georgetown for flood relief effort

Gov. Nikki Haley visited flood survivors and volunteers and helped pack up distribution materials Friday afternoon at the Team South Carolina flood relief event in Georgetown.

Hundreds of residents from Horry, Georgetown, and other surrounding counties came to get aid and free resources at the event that was held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Beck Recreation Center at 2030 Church Street in Georgetown, and nearly 600 had already been served by about 1:30 p.m., officials said.

“We want people to know we’ve got their backs, so we’re happy to be here,” Haley said. “Hundreds of people have been here so far.”

Haley has been hosting and visiting the events in flood-affected counties for weeks, including Sumter, Orangeburg, Williamsburg, Berkeley, and now Georgetown.

Team South Carolina events group resources for flood-impacted residents, creating a one-stop place where people can find out about aid available to them, get free cleanup materials, food, and other items needed for recovery.

“We’re hitting every county that was affected. These are our Team South Carolina days. It’s where we bring all the services to the people instead of them having to find them,” Haley said.

The event bustled indoors and out. Flood survivors had already started lining up outside the building in the early morning hours. A lengthy line wrapped the recreation center and once the event began, Federal Emergency Management Agency workers swung into action armed with iPads, registering people for FEMA assistance and fielding questions.

The U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, and Samaritan’s Purse were among the agencies participating.

Residents were able to register for financial assistance from FEMA, apply for disaster loans, learn about repairing and flood proofing homes, get information about assistance for farmers with crop losses, apply for unemployment, food and financial assistance from the state, receive free well water testing kits, and much more.

Jacob, a therapy Golden Retriever, also made the rounds with his handler Walter Britton with Hope Animal-Assisted Crisis Response, delighting flood survivors and volunteers by offering comfort.

While the floodwaters have ebbed considerably, the recovery and rebuilding process is still ongoing, Horry and Georgetown county authorities said.

“Up-to-date, recovery in Georgetown is going very well,” said Sam Hodge, Georgetown County Emergency Manager.

Parts of Horry and Georgetown saw some additional minor flooding with king tides this week; however, the rivers have been receding and recovery is moving forward as many riverbank residents are now able to access homes, officials said.

“Federal and state groups and faith-based groups, along with nonprofits are here on the ground. They’re really out there working with the community to find out what the needs are,” Hodge said.

Jane Cribb of Andrews said she was at the event to get help with food and supplies. She lives in a Habitat for Humanity home that was damaged by more than a foot of water.

“I lived through Hugo and Hugo was bad - don’t get me wrong. But this time we couldn’t stop the water. Water was everywhere,” Cribb said.

Cribb said volunteers have been working on her home and she hopes to be back in it by Thanksgiving.

Barbara Powell of Georgetown said she experienced some minor flooding and was there at the event to get some help to restore her property.

“It wasn’t that bad, but we were blocked away from town,” she said of her experience.

This was the only Team South Carolina event scheduled for the area, but those who were not able to attend or still need additional assistance can also find help at FEMA disaster recovery centers in Horry or Georgetown counties.

This story was originally published October 30, 2015 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Gov. Haley visits Georgetown for flood relief effort."