Written By Bethany Funkhouser
Edited by Charley Maxwell
In 2024, Hurricane Helene impacted millions, including countless farms in South Carolina and surrounding states. Applications are now open for the South Carolina State Disaster Relief Block Grant for Helene.
This grant is an online-only application open from May 12, 2026, through July 11, 2026.
“An eligible producer is a producer located in an eligible locality that suffered an eligible loss as a direct result of Hurricane Helene and had an ownership share and a production risk in the crop, livestock, or timber (including timber rights).
In addition, an eligible producer is a person or legal entity that must be a:
- citizen of the United States;
- resident alien; for purposes of this part, resident alien means “lawful alien” as defined in 7 CFR part 1400;
- partnership consisting solely of citizens or resident aliens of the United States;
- corporation, limited liability corporation, or other farm organizational structure organized under State law consisting solely of citizens or resident aliens of the United States; or
- Indian Tribe or Tribal organization, as defined in section 4(b) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)” (South Carolina Department of Agriculture).
The loss must have occurred in counties that received a Presidential Disaster Declaration for Hurricane Helene to be eligible. If you are not sure whether your county is included, you can click here to see which counties are eligible.
Losses covered by this block grant include necessary expenses related to infrastructure losses, market losses, future economic losses, and timber losses not covered by other USDA programs or crop insurance.
For more information as to what would be considered eligible, you can visit the SCDA South Carolina Disaster Relief Black Grant for Helene Webpage and scroll down to eligible losses. Please also note that documentation will vary depending on the type of loss. Required documentation, acreage certification form, and linkage requirements can also be found on the same webpage.
All information in this blog post was obtained from the SCDA South Carolina Disaster Relief Block Grant for Helene Webpage. Please note that this blog post does not tell you whether you are eligible or whether you meet every single requirement. It is imperative to read the SCDA webpage in its entirety or reach out for assistance (see information below) to understand all requirements for applying for the grant.
Assistance
For assistance with applying for the grant and verifying your losses, you can reach out to Clemson Cooperative Extension or the Soil and Water Conservation District for agricultural loss assistance.
Find your local Clemson Cooperative Extension Office here: https://www.clemson.edu/extension/co/
Find your local Soil and Water Conservation District office here: https://dnr.sc.gov/conservation/
For assistance with timber loss, click here or email blockgrant@scfc.gov.
Link to SCDA South Carolina Disaster Relief Black Grant for Helene Webpage: https://agriculture.sc.gov/divisions/agency-operations/grants/helene/
All links throughout the blog post can also be found on the webpage.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sex, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.
