CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. — Thursday, FEMA representatives made their way through Chester County to speak with residents about how to get aid in the wake of Helene.
During the storm – the county saw heavy winds, trees uprooted and power outages that caused damage that neighbors are still recovering from nearly two months later.
“What most people are looking at is damage to their homes, help with that," said Ed Darby, director of Chester County Emergency Management. "Damage to appliances, anything that was related to the power outages."
Residents told WCNC Charlotte that the FEMA representatives told them how to apply and what might be covered on a case-by-case basis.
“A lot of people didn’t understand what help they could get, and I didn’t understand what help I could get," said Lisa Fowler, who lives in Great Falls. "It messed my refrigerator up. I had to replace that and my stove. I couldn’t afford to replace stuff like that."
Another resident, Ray Horton, said this will be a big help to the people who need it most.
“It means a lot especially for the people with low income and [who] couldn’t afford insurance that may have lost food in their refrigerator or freezer,” he said.
FEMA representatives said they will be in Great Falls Thursday and Friday and in the city of Chester starting next week. Chester County leaders say they are encouraging residents to take advantage of the opportunity to ask questions.
“They can provide direction to you on how to do this or how to get help,” Darby added.
Contact Anna King at aking2@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X, and Instagram.