ATLANTA – President Joe Biden has approved a major disaster declaration for Georgia in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
The Biden administration’s action means funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be available to affected residents in 41 counties in South Georgia hit hardest by last Friday’s storm.
The list of counties includes Atkinson, Appling, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Bulloch, Burke, Candler, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Echols, Emanuel, Evans, Glascock, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Lowndes, McDuffie, Montgomery, Pierce, Richmond, Screven, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware, Washington, and Wheeler.
Residents of those counties may be eligible for grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help them recover from the effects of the storm.
With recovery efforts still in full swing, Gov. Brian Kemp Tuesday extended the state of emergency in Georgia for another week. Under the order, federal rules and regulations limiting operating hours for commercial truck drivers have been suspended to let an uninterrupted supply of goods and services be dispatched to areas in need of assistance. The new order will run through Oct. 9 unless the governor renews it again.
The governor also issued an executive order Tuesday suspending collection of the state sales tax on gasoline and other motor fuels for the duration of the emergency.
Meanwhile, work crews for Georgia Power and the state’s Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs) reported that about 370,000 customers were still without electricity as of Monday. More then 1.3 million lost power at Helene’s peak.
The hurricane made landfall Thursday night in the Big Bend area of Florida’s Gulf Coast before roaring into Georgia early Friday morning, bringing high winds and heavy rain that caused extensive flooding. Gov. Brian Kemp reported Monday that 25 Georgians died in the storm, many inside homes hit by fallen trees.
The victims included a first responder, Vernon “Leon” Davis, a part-time assistant fire chief in Blackshear.
Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the 11 counties covered by the federal disaster declaration can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621-3362, or by using the FEMA App.