Disaster relief station in Livingston offers help after tornado

May 13--Orangeburg County has set up an on-site location for individuals impacted by the April 13 storms to receive assistance.

The county has set up station at the Livingston town hall/community center at 5917 Savannah Highway (U.S. 321.)

The station will be open through Friday, May 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"We are trying to do all we can to keep citizens safe and to get through this together as much as we can," Orangeburg County Administrator Harold Young said.

The county decided to set up the station due to the fact that the Federal Emergency Management Agency's inability to have on-site locations due to the coronavirus.

The station will provide those impacted by the storms access to a computer and assistance in helping navigate individuals in the application process for FEMA assistance.

Young said with at least a dozen homes completely destroyed many individuals lost everything and did not have insurance.

Young said the station will be staffed by county and library employees.

Orangeburg County has been designated a disaster area as a result of the tornadoes.

Three tornadoes hit Orangeburg County on the morning of April 13. One, with winds reaching 140 mph, killed two people in the Neeses area.

In Orangeburg County, a total of 45 single-family homes were damaged during the storms.

A total of 29 mobile homes were damaged and 10 business/business properties were damaged.

The total amount of damage from the storms was $3,235,890.

FEMA individual assistance can help residents with eligible storm-related costs not covered by insurance. Prior to receiving Federal financial assistance, any insurance benefits must be exhausted to avoid duplication of benefits.

In addition to the Livingston site, individuals who are able can register for FEMA assistance

--Online by logging onto DisasterAssistance.gov

--Online by downloading the FEMA app, available for Apple and Android mobile devices. To download the app, visit fema.gov/mobile-app or your phone's app store.

--Call 800-621-3362. Residents who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and use a TTY may call 800-462-7585. Language translators also are available.

--Toll-free numbers are open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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