ROCK HILL, S.C. — Residents in Rock Hill are still struggling after the hailstorm rolled through more than two months ago. On Wednesday, they were told help was finally on the way.
During a news briefing, Habitat for Humanity of York County announced it is committing $250,000 to help those whose homes were destroyed and who are uninsured.
Tim Veeck, the Chief Executive Officer of the York County chapter, said this plan has been in the works for a while.
“We tried to do some immediate response in terms of identifying who was impacted and what were the needs and what’s the community saying,” he said.
Each home would receive around $25,000 for repairs, specifically “roof replacements, siding repairs, window repairs, damage to HVAC units, things like that," Veeck said.
Residents in the area say they’re grateful they’re finally getting some help.
“Some people still have trees on the house. You can look across the street and see trees on the home and some people don’t have insurance,” Rock Hill resident Jesse Jacobs said. “We need this we need people to come together. And it’s a lot of people that have money that haven’t done anything. We need this,” he continued.
Habitat for Humanity says they’re only in contact with around 15 families. If you’re in need of assistance you can reach out online..
Rock Hill severe thunderstorm damage
The April 20 severe weather event produced damaging hail and wind in portions of York County, South Carolina and surrounding areas.
FEMA said even though the storm damage was severe, it did not meet the agency's standard for federal assistance.
"Based on our review of all the information available, it has been determined that the damage from this event was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state, affected local governments, and voluntary agencies," FEMA wrote in a letter to McMaster.
York County Government said they are disappointed in FEMA's decision and south other options, such as the SBA loans, to aid residents.
The supercell thunderstorm produced winds up to 90 mph as it moved across York County in April. These winds, the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane, toppled trees and damaged homes. The storm also produced hail stones at least 2 inches in diameter, surveyors found. While the storms did not produce any tornadoes, WCNC Charlotte Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich explained the impact on homeowners and business owners is the same whether the winds came from a tornado or a thunderstorm.
Residents who still have general questions about the storm can call the York County Office of Emergency Management at (803) 326-2300