Disaster Recovery Center Opens in Laurens County to Assist Hurricane Helene Survivors

Laurens County residents impacted by Hurricane Helene now have access to in-person assistance at a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) located at the Laurens County Public Library (1017 W. Main St., Laurens). The center will be open from Wednesday, October 16 through Saturday, October 19, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

This center joins others previously established in Aiken, Anderson, Greenville, Lexington, and Pickens counties to aid South Carolinians recovering from the effects of the storm. Additional DRCs are scheduled to open soon in more impacted areas across the state.

At the Laurens County DRC, representatives from FEMA, the state of South Carolina, and the U.S. Small Business Administration will be available to provide personalized support and guidance. No appointment is necessary, and residents can visit any open DRC location for assistance. To find additional centers, visit fema.gov/drc or text “DRC” along with your zip code to 43362.

Homeowners and renters from the following counties, including Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Jasper, Kershaw, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union, and York, as well as the Catawba Indian Nation, are eligible to apply for federal disaster assistance.

The fastest way to apply for assistance is online at DisasterAssistance.gov. Applications can also be submitted using the FEMA app on mobile devices or by calling the toll-free helpline at 800-621-3362. The telephone line is open daily, and multilingual support is available. Those who use relay services such as Video Relay Service (VRS) or captioned telephones should provide FEMA with their relay service number. For American Sign Language (ASL) videos with voiceover and open captions on how to apply, please visit FEMA’s website.

FEMA programs are fully accessible to individuals with disabilities and those with functional needs.

For ongoing updates regarding South Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Helene, visit fema.gov/disaster/4829. Follow FEMA Region 4 on X at x.com/femaregion4 or on Facebook at facebook.com/fema.