More Georgia counties have been approved for disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which tore through south Georgia and up into North Carolina at the end of September.
That brings the total counties with a major disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to 53 in Georgia — or one-third of the counties in the state. Newton and Butts counties are the only two in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell MSA among the 53 counties included in the disaster relief.
Helene, the country’s deadliest storm since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, destroyed homes, towns, businesses and farms across the south. At least 33 people were killed in Georgia, and at least 200 were killed by the storm in total. Rescue and recovery efforts are still ongoing in parts of North Carolina, where hundreds of people are still unaccounted for.
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In 53 Georgia counties, people are eligible to apply for assistance for damages not covered by insurance because FEMA cannot duplicate benefits. If the insurance policy does not cover all disaster expenses, individuals may be eligible for federal assistance.