South Carolina Estimates $1.2 Billion In Losses From Florence

South Carolina’s estimated financial losses from Florence are at more than $1.2 billion, according to Gov. Henry McMaster.

He provided the preliminary financial impact and the federal recovery fund estimates Thursday in a letter to the state’s Congressional Delegation. The breakdown included an estimated $125 million hit to South Carolina’s agriculture industry and $80 million to the state’s small businesses, among others.

McMaster said the estimates are based on information gathered from Hurricane Matthew damage in 2016. The governor has requested federal disaster recovery funds for public assistance, as well as individual assistance for people in 23 of South Carolina’s 46 counties. He said the damage from Florence in the northeastern area of the state “will be catastrophic, surpassing anything recorded in modern history.”