Here’s how some in South Carolina can replace food lost in power outages, flooding

People in South Carolina who receive SNAP benefits and lost food during flooding or power outages from Hurricane Florence will have until Oct. 15 to report the lost food and apply for replacement benefits.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture normally requires people who get food stamps to report lost food within 10 days. The announcement Wednesday gives a waiver to people who receive SNAP benefits in 26 counties in the Low Country, Pee Dee and Midlands region.

Acting Deputy Under Secretary Brandon Lipps said in a press release, “This waiver will provide sufficient reporting time for households who are facing power outages, flooding, and other obstacles in the wake of this disaster.”

The USDA noted there are 185,000 households that receive food stamps who can apply for the waiver.

The announcement applies to people in Berkeley, Beaufort, Calhoun, Charleston, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lee, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter, Williamsburg, and York counties.

Many people in the Pee Dee, most notably in Horry, Marion and Florence counties still face severe flooding as river levels continue to rise.