More Georgia counties have been approved for disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which tore through south Georgia and up into North Carolina at the end of September.
That brings the total counties with a major disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to 53 in Georgia -- or one-third of the counties in the state. Newton and Butts counties are the only two in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell MSA among the 53 counties included in the disaster relief.
Helene, the country’s deadliest storm since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, destroyed homes, towns, businesses and farms across the south. At least 33 people were killed in Georgia, and at least 200 were killed by the storm in total. Rescue and recovery efforts are still ongoing in parts of North Carolina, where hundreds of people are still unaccounted for.
In 53 Georgia counties, people are eligible to apply for assistance for damages not covered by insurance because FEMA cannot duplicate benefits. If the insurance policy does not cover all disaster expenses, individuals may be eligible for federal assistance.
To apply, go online to DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.
“FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs,” the news release says.
As of Saturday, FEMA has provided over $29 million to over 35,000 survivors in Georgia, where teams are also on the ground helping people get access to needed resources and apply for federal assistance, according to a news release. In total, the federal aid provided thus far is over $110 Million.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp requested 90 counties receive the disaster declaration. FEMA sometimes issues the disaster declarations on a rolling basis, shoring up funds for storm-ravaged counties sooner while completing evaluations on others.
Total damages caused by the storm could be $250 billion, according to estimates from AccuWeather. The storm caused such widespread power outages that Helene’s path could be seen from space.
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