Hurricane Matthew damages top $4 million countywide
Road collapse near Bethea Baptist Home in Darlington, S.C. after Hurricane Matthews.
Photo by Samantha Lyles
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
The Darlington County Emergency Operations Center held a meeting Thursday, October 13 to confer with municipal officials and representatives from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and share preliminary damage assessment data collected in the wake of Hurricane Matthew. FEMA officials were readying to head out into the field with county and municipal emergency workers to conduct first-hand damage assessments. Examination of the resulting data (and any subsequent updates) will determine what level of FEMA disaster recovery assistance Darlington County receives.
If Darlington County qualifies for FEMA’s Individual Assistance Program, FEMA will work with the county to set up a disaster recovery center staffed with reps from FEMA, the State of South Carolina, the Small Business Administration, and other state and county organizations. A toll-free phone number would be issued so residents may register to visit an assistance center and apply for up to $33,000 to help with temporary housing, home repair or replacement, vehicle repair or replacement, medical expenses, and other storm-related financial burdens.
FEMA inspectors also planned to visit government buildings to assess damage and see if county and city governments may qualify for aid through their Public Assistance Program. County and city governments can also qualify for FEMA reimbursement of disaster-related costs (including employee overtime pay) if the countywide footprint for these expenses exceeds $247,000.
Darlington County Emergency Management director Mike “Mac” McDonald said that while the process of gathering damage assessments is moving much quicker this year than it did after the October 2015 floods, the county did not expect to have a full complement of assessment data until Monday, October 17. Preliminary figures estimate over $4 million in damages across the county.
Darlington city manager Howard Garland said the city’s current estimate stands at $1.16 million in damages, with 69 homes sustaining moderate to substantial damage.
As the assessment and recovery phase gets underway, officials warned that scammers are already on the prowl, searching for ways to exploit people already shaken by this disaster.
Fake FEMA Vehicles
McDonald said there have been multiple sightings of vehicles with flashing lights and fake “FEMA” magnetic signage roaming through the county, with first sightings only hours after the storm ended on Saturday. He said that Thursday, October 13 was the first day that genuine FEMA assessment teams were on the ground working in Darlington County. Federal officials have told McDonald that local law enforcement is authorized to stop them and demand identification, or to detain them if they prove to be imposters.
Fake FEMA Endorsements
Garland said several contractors had come to Darlington bearing credentials proclaiming them as “FEMA Approved” for storm debris removal and other recovery / rebuilding work. McDonald said he suspected this was hokum, too, and all the FEMA reps present agreed that there is no such thing as a FEMA-preferred contractor. As a safeguard against scammers, city officials and citizens were advised to ask contractors for verifiable work references from another state or county, and to ask to see a valid business license for your locality.
Insurance Deductible Hikes
Garland said he has received citizen reports of insurers drastically and suddenly raising homeowners insurance deductibles, sometimes more than tenfold, using the excuse that Darlington County has been declared a disaster area. McDonald suggested that such practices are questionable and those citizens should file complaints against their insurers with the state insurance commissioner.
Email and Phishing Scams
The South Carolina Emergency Management Division warns that scammers are reaching out to Hurricane Matthew victims through text messages and emails in an attempt to gather personal information that might be used to hack accounts or perpetrate identity theft. SCEMD issued these warnings:
- Do not reply to an e-mail, text or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information.
- Do not click on any links in an email or text message or cut and paste the link into your browser.
- Do not call a phone number contained in the e-mail or text.
- Verify the validity of the communication by contacting the organization directly, with contact information that you’ve found in the phone book or by going to the company’s website.
- Use antivirus or anti-spyware software and a firewall. Make sure to update them regularly. Phishing emails may contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet.Mobile users, to view slideshow gallery of images please click link: Hurricane Matthew in Darlington County