South Carolina has received approval for additional federal disaster assistance to support recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene, increasing the federal share of eligible public assistance costs from 75% to 90%.
Gov. Henry McMaster requested the increase from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help communities recover from damage caused by the storm, according to his office.
President Donald Trump authorized the additional assistance for South Carolina’s recovery efforts related to Hurricane Helene, which affected the state from Sept. 25 through Oct. 7, 2024, FEMA announced.
The increased federal cost share applies to eligible Public Assistance expenses, which can help state and local governments and certain nonprofit organizations cover disaster-related costs. These may include debris removal, emergency protective measures and repairs to damaged public infrastructure.
The increase means the federal government will cover 90% of eligible costs, reducing the state and local share to 10% for assistance covered by the authorization. Projects that had previously been approved for 100% federal cost sharing will remain at that level.
The additional funding is intended to support ongoing recovery from Helene, which caused widespread damage across South Carolina and other southeastern states.
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