DOT 68-15 Tuesday, October 6, 2015 Contact: Nancy Singer (202) 366-0660

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced the immediate availability of $5 million in emergency relief funds from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) to help repair roads and bridges damaged by flooding throughout South Carolina.

“Emergency relief funding will help the state begin immediately to recover from record breaking flooding,” said Secretary Foxx. “We want South Carolinians to know this funding is only a down payment on our commitment to ensuring all highways and bridges are repaired in the state. More resources will become available as estimates for the cost of repairs become clear.”

South Carolina experienced torrential rains on October 2, which continued for several days. Rainfall reached more than 20 inches in many areas and produced significant flooding that damaged the state’s highways and bridges. Critical routes in the state, such as I-95 and I-26, are currently closed and travelers are experiencing lengthy detours to bypass impacted areas.

The $5 million provided today will be used towards infrastructure repairs to restore essential traffic as the state continues to assess the damage.

“The damage is of historic proportion and the state is hurting,” said Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau. “We know that the losses are great throughout the state but getting roads and bridges back up and running again is the first step to restoring communities again.”

The FHWA's Emergency Relief program provides funding for highways and bridges damaged by natural disasters or catastrophic events.

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