Orangeburg residents qualify for FEMA assistance after Helene [Video]

ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — FEMA disaster and unemployment assistance is now available in Orangeburg County for those affected by Hurricane Helene.

Residents and business owners who have uninsured damage or losses could qualify for assistance.

Orangeburg now has reports of 7 homes destroyed, 19 with major damage and 21 with minor damage.

Billy Staley is the director of Orangeburg County Emergency Services. He says the county has reached the threshold in damages to receive help from FEMA.

“We’ve reached a point to where FEMA has declared at the governor’s request and our request that individual assistance declaration for the county,” said Staley. “What that means is that the citizens of Orangeburg county can now apply to FEMA for assistance if they have losses that are uninsured or if they need assistance of any type, pretty much they can apply and then FEMA will …