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Date Published: September 10, 2004
FEMA to visit Sumter to assess tornado damage
By LESLIE CANTU
Item Staff Writer
lesliec@theitem.com
State and federal officials will visit Sumter and Lee
counties today to assess damage from Tuesday's
tornadoes.
Federal Emergency Management Agency officials will
be here at the request of the state to collect information on the
amount of damage and determine if Sumter qualifies for a
presidential disaster declaration. Disaster declarations depend on
multiple factors, including the per capita income of the community,
how often it's been hit and how recently it's been hit.
Vic
Jones, Sumter County's public safety director, said he doesn't think
the county has enough damage to qualify for a declaration, but he
hopes to get some assistance for the families affected by the
storms.
Fifty-six homes were damaged
Tuesday.
"They're going to look at the state collectively and
see if they can get us declared to some extent to get some federal
help for Sumter County," Jones said.
Jennifer Carver, a
public information officer with FEMA, said if today's review results
in a presidential declaration, individuals would be able to apply
for assistance. Two South Carolina counties, Georgetown and Horry,
already have public assistance disaster declarations from Hurricane
Charley. Only government entities and certain nonprofits can apply
for public assistance.
The storms have kept officials at all
levels busy.
"We're dealing with four different events:
Bonnie, Charley, Gaston and now the tornadoes," said Joe Farmer of
the state's Emergency Management Division.
Carver said it can
take up to two weeks for a request for a disaster declaration to
make its way through the system. The officials will be visiting four
counties today and two Saturday.
Allison Purvis, whose home
crashed to pieces on Ithica Drive on Tuesday with her inside, is now
in good condition at Tuomey Regional Medical Center.
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