South Carolina Disaster Relief and Resilience Act

The South Carolina Disaster Relief and Resilience Act (SC Code §48-62-10) mandates the development of a Strategic Statewide Resilience and Risk Reduction Plan (Resilience Plan) and also creates two funds: the Disaster Relief and Resilience Reserve Fund (Reserve Fund) and the South Carolina Resilience Revolving Fund (Revolving Fund). The Act authorizes the South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR) to develop and implement the Resilience Plan, to operate both funds, and to coordinate statewide disaster recovery efforts while collaborating with federal, state, and local stakeholders.

Strategic Statewide Resilience and Risk Reduction Plan

In order to reduce losses from future disasters across the State, the office is responsible for the development, implementation, and maintenance of the Resilience Plan. The Resilience Plan will evaluate South Carolina's eight major watersheds, examining the flood risks that exist in each area and identifying potential losses that could occur as a result of severe weather events and other natural catastrophes including but not limited to flooding, wildfires, and drought conditions. The required elements of the plan may be found at SC Code §48-62-10. The final product will provide strategies for local governments for mitigating flood risks and ways to integrate risk reduction into existing strategies for hazard mitigation, environmental protection, and economic opportunity and development. SCOR will coordinate with the Advisory Committee created by the SCDRR Act to develop the Resilience Plan. Advisory Committee members include:

• SC Department of Natural Resources
• SC Department of Insurance
• SC Department of Agriculture
• SC Emergency Management Division
• SC Sea Grant Consortium
• SC Department of Commerce
• SC Department of Health and Environmental Control
• SC Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism
• SC Department of Transportation
• SC Forestry Commission
• SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Registration
• SC Association of Counties
• Municipal Association of South Carolina
• SC State Housing Finance & Development Authority
• SC Ports Authority
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Disaster Relief and Resilience Reserve Fund

The fund is under the Chief Resilience Officer and, following a federally declared disaster, can be used to:

• Provide financial assistance to state and local governmental entities to provide the nonfederal share for federal disaster assistance programs
• Make infrastructure repairs for homeowners and communities that are not eligible for CDBG-DR and other federal funding assistance
• Provide loans and grants to local governments in disaster areas that need immediate cash flow assistance
• Provide grants to governmental entities and organizations exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code to repair or replace infrastructure or equipment damaged as a result of a natural disaster
• Provide financial assistance for verifiable losses of agricultural commodities due to a natural disaster.

South Carolina Resilience Revolving Fund

• This fund can be used for loans and grants to eligible recipients to purchase flooded properties and land to complete floodplain restorations
• Eligible recipients are limited to the State, local governments (or any agency, commission, or instrumentality thereof), and land trusts accredited by the Land Trust Commission

More about the SC Resilience Revolving Fund (PDF)