South Carolina Gets Additional $65M in Matthew Aid

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South Carolina will get an additional $65 million in federal aid to help the state rebuild after Hurricane Matthew.

The State newspaper of Columbia reports the Department of Housing and Urban Development grant is part of a $2.3 billion nationwide package for states hit hard this year by natural disasters.

But the money is still a long way from arriving. The federal agency has not yet given instructions for how and where the money can be used. Once it does, the state must write a proposal, allow for public comment, and get the agency’s approval. That could take more than a year.

“We’ll do everything we can to support the people and places still struggling to rebuild,” HUD Secretary Julian Castro said in a statement.

Gov. Nikki Haley’s office estimates the hurricane caused nearly $341 million in damage to public property in October. The damage to private homes and businesses was unknown.

More than 47,000 residents applied for aid through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A fraction of those received help totaling $35.7 million. Nearly 1,400 residents were approved for low-interest loans worth $46.2 million.

Louisiana is slated to receive the bulk – nearly $1.7 billion – of the HUD disaster aid. North Carolina will get nearly $199 million.

The federal agency also provided $157 million to South Carolina for rebuilding from the October 2015 historic rainfall and flooding.