MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Congressman Tom Rice, R-SC 7, introduced a bill that would protect victims of natural disasters, something he said is needed for our area.
Rice said he’s seen firsthand how FEMA and other federal bureaucracies have dealt with hurricanes in the area. After receiving funds late and seeing how expensive it is, he said there must be another way to help people.
Rice said the bill is about advanced preparation and sets up a consulting group made up of private businesses that deal with disaster remediation and private citizens and the government to talk about how FEMA does its advanced planning.
He said it won’t take long to get things moving after a storm hits, which didn’t happen this past hurricane season, but easily could in the future.
“So our whole district — eight counties that I have from Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Dillon, Marlboro, Chesterfield, Darlington, Florence — all of them are part of that Pee Dee watershed and five different river sy stems go through there and it’s a big floodplain,” Rice said.
Rice even walked through April O’Leary’s neighborhood after Hurricane Florence. O’Leary is the leader of Horry County Rising.
“He saw that there are tremendous needs in those affected communities by these families that weren’t being met,” O’Leary said.
“It’s not fair when you know millionaires in Malibu get recovery from FEMA and poor people in Nichols don’t and that is just infuriating to me,” Rice said.
Rice said the bill essentially will speed up the process and put pressure on FEMA to implement guidance and procedures for debris removal.
It’s a bipartisan bill that Rice hopes can get support and more co-sponsors.
