Statewide damage totals have exceeded $326 million, according to GEMA Director Chris Stallings.
WHEELER COUNTY, Ga. — Governor Kemp’s statewide tour of communities most affected by Helene is currently underway.
Hours after suspending the state’s fuel tax to help lower recovery costs, Kemp stopped in Wheeler County to address the community Wednesday night.
There were initially 11 counties in the declaration: Appling, Brooks, Coffee, Columbia, Jefferson, Liberty, Lowndes, Pierce, Richmond, Tattnall and Toombs.
Kemp says he was displeased with FEMA’s original decision to provide less than a dozen counties with federal relief.
He said he spoke with President Biden’s Chief of Staff to advocate more counties to be added to that list.
Now, 30 counties will qualify for federal relief: Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bulloch, Burke, Candler, Chatham, Clinch, Colquitt, Cook, Echols, Emanuel, Evans, Glascock, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Lincoln, McDuffie, Montgomery, Screven, Telfair, Treutlen, Ware, …