Palmetto State News

Governor Henry McMaster and Lieutenant Governor Pamela S. Evette have announced the initiation of Farm and Forest Recovery Resource Days to assist South Carolina's farming and forestry sectors impacted by Hurricane Helene. These events will be held in Aiken on November 15, Greenville on November 21, and Myrtle Beach on December 6.

The S.C. Department of Agriculture and S.C. Forestry Commission have assessed that Hurricane Helene, Tropical Storm Debby, and a summer flash drought have caused $621 million in damages to the state's agribusiness industry.

In response to these losses, Governor McMaster has requested federal funding support from the South Carolina Congressional Delegation through a block grant to aid affected communities. "These staggering losses represent a critical blow to an industry already contending with rising inflation, labor shortages, and market pressures," McMaster stated in his letter.

The Farm and Forest Recovery Resource Days will feature representatives from various agencies including AgSouth, Clemson University Extension, Farmer Veteran Coalition of S.C., Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Small Business Administration (SBA), S.C. Conservation Bank, among others. These agencies will provide information on loans, insurance claims, mental health services, technical assistance for storm recovery, and more.

Events are scheduled as follows: November 15 at the University of South Carolina Aiken Campus; November 21 at Greenville Technical College; December 6 at the Embassy Suites at Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach.