Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $17.3 Million to Support Disaster Recovery and Resiliency Efforts in South Carolina

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding $17.3 million in grants to the state of South Carolina to support disaster recovery and resiliency efforts.

“EDA is committed to helping communities across South Carolina rebound and build back stronger following natural disasters,” said Dennis Alvord, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “These EDA investments will strengthen South Carolina’s water infrastructure, support the state’s workforce, and set the conditions for new business growth and the creation of good paying jobs.”

The EDA investments announced today are:

• The city of Conway, South Carolina, will receive a $6 million grant to make critical wastewater system infrastructure upgrades to protect local businesses and allow for new development in the area by eliminating overflow during flood events. The EDA grant will be matched with $1.5 million in local funds.
• Georgetown County, South Carolina, will receive a $3.47 million grant to make stormwater system improvements to protect businesses in the East Andrews area from severe floods. The EDA grant will be matched with $866,977 in local funds.
• The city of Georgetown, South Carolina, will receive a $3.36 million grant to make upgrades to the stormwater system serving the city’s Historic District to prevent rising tidal waters from damaging businesses located along the waterfront. The EDA grant, to be matched with $841,353 in local funds.
• Santee Electric Cooperative, Inc., Kingstree, South Carolina, will receive $2.5 million to protect area businesses from future severe weather by upgrading its electrical system and roadway infrastructure through construction of a substation at the W. Lee Flowers distribution center. The project will be matched with $623,689 in local funds.
• The city of Dillon, South Carolina, will receive a $1.3 million grant to make the city’s wastewater system resilient to future floods by relocating two force mains currently located on an abandoned bridge deck to under the Little Pee Dee River riverbed. These improvements will help attract new industry to the area by decreasing the likelihood of water service interruptions. The EDA project will be matched with $331,184 in local funds.
• Francis Marion University, Florence, South Carolina, will receive a $699,279 grant to upgrade the stormwater drainage system serving the university’s main campus to make it more resilient to future floods. The infrastructure improvements will allow the university to continue its mission to train the local workforce and meet the hiring demands of local employers. The EDA project will be matched with $175,000 in local funds.

This project is funded by the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 116-20) (PDF), which provided EDA with $600 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program (PDF) Program funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas affected by Hurricanes Florence, Michael, and Lane, Typhoons Yutu and Mangkhut, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and other major natural disasters occurring in calendar year 2018, and tornadoes and floods occurring in calendar year 2019, under the Robert T. Stafford Act. Please visit EDA’s Disaster Supplemental webpage for more information.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.