Cherokee County will find out early next week if it will receive federal disaster assistance in repairing damage caused by a Dec. 15 ice storm.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will send a team to South Carolina on Wednesday and Thursday to survey ice storm damage in Cherokee, Oconee, Pickens, Greenville, and Spartanburg counties. Initial damage estimates showed those counties saw the most severe damage from the storm.

Preliminary Cherokee County estimates indicate $441,000 in damages based on the cost of debris removal, infrastructure repair, overtime costs for public works crews and utility repair.

The FEMA team will work with state and local officials and electric cooperatives to determine the actual damages, Cherokee County Emergency Preparedness Director Rick Peterson said. This is done to determine if the storm’s damage was enough to meet the minimum amount of $4.6 million on both the county and state level to be eligible for a federal disaster declaration.

If FEMA’s assessment verifies enough damage, Gov. Mark Sanford will send a letter to President Bush requesting a Presidential Disaster Declaration. This would allow Cherokee and other counties to be reimbursed for expenses involved in cleanup efforts.

A federal disaster declaration would cover as much of 75 percent of the ice storm damages, Peterson said. Cherokee and other counties could receive additional financial assistance from the state at a later time.

“If we do get the declaration, that will free up a lot more funds and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) can come in here and help out with relief,” Peterson said. “We should know something by early next week.”

Individual county residents are not eligible for FEMA assistance because the ice storm damage was not significant and widespread on uninsured homes and businesses, he said.