Although it’s been more than two months since Hurricane Helene ravaged homes and businesses in the Augusta area, people still are learning about the help that may be available to them.
“Yesterday, we had a 83-year-old woman, and she had no support. We knocked on her door, and she was just like ‘what’s FEMA?’ and we explained the process to her,” said Rahel Gebregiorgis – a FEMA disaster survivor assistance crew leader, on Dec. 13 as she canvassed a south Augusta neighborhood.
Thirty crew members are still actively on the ground reaching people such as that woman who had a tarp on her roof but didn’t know where to turn next. The team helped her apply for FEMA assistance and gave her direction.
Canvassers visit between 100 and 150 homes per day and have reached more than 20,000 people in Richmond County alone; groups are also out in surrounding counties, according to Nikki Gaskins Campbell, FEMA media relations specialist.
“For this area, it is very unusual for something like this to happen. We know there are a lot of questions. That’s why it’s so important to have our crews in the field to answer questions,” she said.
FEMA is only one piece of the puzzle, and other government agencies such as the Small Business Administration, state entities, non-profits and other organizations play a role in recovery as well, she said.
Gebregiorgis said her job is important because they often meet others like the 83-year-old woman.
“Not everyone watches the news or reads the newspaper. That’s why we want to be out here,” said Gebregiorgis.
And some are unable to get to the disaster recovery centers.
Gaskins Campbell said canvassers will never ask for money and will not go inside anyone’s home. They will also have the proper identification.
The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance is Jan. 7, 2025.
People can still apply online or in person at one of the disaster recovery centers. Learn more here.
The Richmond County center on Chafee Avenue at the HUB for Community Innovation has had more than 9,300 visitors as of Dec. 13. FEMA has approved more than $251 million in housing and other types of assistance and approved more than 191,400 applications for Georgia households for Hurricane Helene, according to an email from Gaskins Campbell.
As of Dec. 11, FEMA has approved more than $234 million in housing and other types of assistance to 315,243 South Carolina households. More applications are being processed daily, the email said.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News and Inspiring: Women of Augusta, has covered Augusta’s news for more than 35 years and is a Georgia Press Association award winner. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here
FEMA has been a joke for our family. Our house had to be demolished, because it was a total loss. FEMA said they were going to help us because our insurance didn’t cover tree or debris removal, which split our house in half. Just informed us on the app, and then called and let me know we are denied help because we have insurance, even though it doesn’t cover tree and debris removal. Cost me $5,000 out of pocket to demolish home, and remove the trees from the house. The mortgage company is wanting to hold our insurance money, and trying to keep it in an escrow account instead of giving us the difference remaining. So we don’t have any insurance money, but FEMA representative said that wasn’t their problem. Not much help for us.
I was out of lights for 21 days couldn’t get out for the trees one on house they said sense I didn’t have to go to a hotel I couldn’t get help I am 72 with different sickness I lost 20 lbs because all my food spoiled plus I could not cook anyway my stove run by electricity had to be in the dark on a fixed income so I was denied because I couldn’t get out