Gov. Sanford Asks FEMA to Conduct Damage Assessment

News Releases

8/17/2004

Gov. Sanford Asks FEMA to Conduct Damage Assessment

DAMAGE FROM HURRICANE CHARLEY LIKELY TO REACH THRESHOLD FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE

Columbia, S.C. - August 17, 2004 - Gov. Mark Sanford today sent a letter to the acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Region IV Headquarters in Atlanta requesting a joint preliminary damage assessment (PDA) in the aftermath of Hurricane Charley making landfall in our state. Last Friday, August 13, 2004, the governor declared a State of Emergency in South Carolina, the first step in making our state eligible for federal funds in the event damage from the storm exceeded $5 million. In his letter, Gov. Sanford requests for FEMA to begin the joint preliminary damage assessment tomorrow, Wednesday, August 18, 2004.

"I'm asking FEMA to come in and work with our state and local emergency management folks to get this done and determine if we're in fact eligible for federal funds," Gov. Sanford said. "We've got an obligation to do everything we can to promote economic development on the Grand Strand and throughout our state, and a big part of that right now includes getting local governments impacted by the storm the assistance they need."

Gov. Sanford instructed State Emergency Management Division Director Ron Osbourne to coordinate the state and local components of this cooperative assessment.