After tornadoes ripped through the state of South Carolina during last
weekend's wild weather, many residents are wondering how they will begin to rebuild homes and businesses left ruined.

While dozens of homes were destroyed Saturday (3-15) by tornadoes, officials said hundreds more were damaged by hail and fallen trees.

The most damage occurred near Prosperity in Newberry County and Branchville, located in Orangeburg County.

Other counties with considerable damage include Kershaw and Allendale.

South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford has surveyed those counties hit hardest by the storm. He has requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency survey the damage this week.

But Sanford has warned that there may not be enough damage to qualify for federal damage relief. He has said that residents may be able to apply for state money but that is also uncertain.

The National Weather Service confirmed 17 tornadoes touched down last weekend in South Carolina.

Since then, more than six-thousand insurance claims have been filed. Insurers estimate the damage is more than 30-million dollars.