Georgia residents have just over a month to apply for federal assistance for damages due to Hurricane Helene.
FEMA announced Thursday that it had extended the deadline for homeowners and renters across 63 Georgia counties—including Richmond and Columbia counties—affected by the storm.
This is not the first time the agency has offered Georgians more time to seek financial relief for home repairs, property damage, the cost of displacement or other issues caused by the hurricane in September. In November, FEMA had extended the cutoff date to Jan. 7.
As of Thursday, however, the deadline for Georgians to apply for assistance is Feb. 7, 2025.
Neighbors across the river, however, still have only two weeks to seek FEMA’s assistance for damages or hardships related to the storm. Monday, the agency reiterated in a press release that the deadline is still Jan. 7 for property owners and those renting in more than 25 affected counties in South Carolina, including CSRA counties of Aiken, Edgefield and McCormick.
Business owners in the area can still seek relief for similar damages via the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Disaster Loan Program. Five days before Christmas, President Joe Biden signed H.R. Bill 10545, also known as the American Relief Act, 2025, which provides appropriations to federal agencies for economic assistance to farmers and for disaster relief, through March of next year.
This could prove promising news for those who applied for SBA Disaster Relief loans after Helene, but have yet to receive loan offers. By Oct. 15, about two weeks after the storm hit the CSRA, the disaster relief program had exhausted its funding, though the SBA continued to process applications. This was days before the SBA opened recovery centers in Augusta, and nearly a month before setting up portable loan outreach centers in the area.
Those interested in seeking federal storm relief or assistance can find more information, or apply, at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/. Business owners interested in applying for disaster relief may go to www.lendingsba.gov.
Skyler Andrews is a reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
