DUBLIN, Ga. — More relief could be on the way for farmers and others impacted by Hurricane Helene in Central Georgia, but it needs approval from the General Assembly first.
Sharay Jackson and her cousin Ebony Williams told 13WMAZ they remember it raining really hard and at night, "it got bad."
Major problems left behind include destructive damage to gas pumps, and trees lying on buildings and fences. Jackson says Governor Kemp's proposal would go a long way for her Dublin neighbors.
"I just feel like it would help a lot because a lot of people were out of work for so long and people were without power and couldn't take showers," Jackson said.
Kemp talked about his plan at the Biennial Institute for Georgia Legislatures. His proposal aims to help timber and peach farmers and local agencies.
House Speaker Jon Burns says it would be similar to the $470 million relief package approved in 2018 after Hurricane Michael.
That plan included $20 million in timber cleanup, $69 million for local and state agencies and their emergency fund cost, $200 million in income tax credit for timber and pecan farmers to replant trees, and $55 million for crop loss.
James Wood with FEMA says the federal agency is approving applications for georgians who need help daily.
"$250 million have been approved so far for the survivors who have been impacted by Hurricane Debbie and or Helene. As well as 190,000 applications have been approved and that is as of today. And tomorrow, and the next day, that number is still going to continue to rise, the number is still going to continue to change," Wood said.
Wood says with the holiday season coming up, he urges Central Georgians to come to the disaster relief center in Laurens County to ask questions and apply.
"I would just like to remind folks that every single application is different when this disaster came. It didn't come for a target, it came for everybody who was affected," Wood said.
The state legislative session begins Jan. 13.
Right now, FEMA has disaster relief centers open in Johnson, Laurens, Telfair, and Washington counties.
Click here for more information about disaster relief.