Watch: Funding On The Way For Flood Victims

Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — Robbie Damron says the only way she can describe returning to her Pine Glen home after October’s flood is “Overwhelming”.

She continues, “I mean you come back in and it’s just total devastation. Everything you touch is full of water.”

After months of reconstruction, Damron is back in her home, but that’s not the case for the majority of her neighbors who are still struggling.

Damron tells ABC Columbia, “If they didn’t have insurance then it’s out of pocket and a lot of them didn’t get the FEMA so it’s hard on them.”

Local and state leaders are confident that recently allocated funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development will make things a little easier.

According to Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin,”It’ll help people get back in to their homes maybe buy out some homes that people don’t want to rebuild, help fund economic development efforts that are related to flood relief.”

$157 million in disaster recovery funding will be divided between the State, Lexington and Richland Counties and Columbia.

“Now that we know we have the identified funding lets get those monies onto the street as quickly as possible,” says Mayor Benjamin.

While it’s unclear how the funding will be used, some are skeptical about whether the money will make it to their neighborhood.

Damron explains, “I think it will go in to the government to be used else where on a personal level I don’t think anyone in here will see it.”

So, she says they’ll continue to rely on neighbors helping neighbors.