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U.S. Department of Transportation Announces $8 Million in Emergency Relief Funds to Rebuild South Carolina’s Infrastructure Following Hurricane Florence

Friday, September 21, 2018

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today announced the immediate availability of $8 million in “quick release” Emergency Relief (ER) funds to help restore access to essential roads and bridges damaged by Hurricane Florence throughout South Carolina. The $8 million “quick release” payment is an initial installment of funds used to restore essential traffic and limit further highway damage, which can help long-term repair and recovery efforts get underway more quickly. The funds were approved shortly after being requested by Governor McMaster and South Carolina’s Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall.

“Today I have approved South Carolina’s request for $8 million in immediate emergency relief funds to help address the damage to roads caused by Hurricane Florence,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.  “We will continue to closely monitor the situation and assist state and local officials in their disaster response and recovery efforts.”

The multi-day storm affected many areas of the state resulting in many closed sections of roads on the national highway system, including Interstate 95.  The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) continues to detour freight and regional travel from those areas because floodwaters are still rising. The damage will exceed SCDOT’s budget for emergencies on its large State maintained highway system.  Quick Release of ER funds will reimburse SCDOT for its expenditures for emergency traffic operations and use of State forces and emergency contracts to repair damaged roadways.  FHWA’s South Carolina Division is actively involved in coordinating available ER site assessments of this large-scale event. 

The FHWA’s ER program provides funding for highways and bridges damaged by natural disasters or catastrophic events.

More information about FHWA’s ER program can be found online at: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/erelief.cfm.

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