Thousands across state applied for flood-related unemployment benefits

Thousands of South Carolina residents applied last month for unemployment benefits related to the historic rains and flooding that struck the state on Oct. 4, damaging roads, homes and businesses.

The state Department of Employment and Workforce received roughly 6,000 flood-related unemployment claims last month, said Bob Bouyea, the department’s communications and marketing director.

DEW received about 20,000 total unemployment claims last month, up from the usual 13,500 claims each month, Bouyea said.

Tens of thousands of Richland County residents poured into the Word of God Church and Ministries in Columbia in early November to apply for federal food stamp assistance. Some of them said they needed the money because flood-damaged roads and businesses kept them from working for a week or more.

The deadline to apply for flood-related unemployment benefits in Richland and Lexington counties was Nov. 4, and Bouyea said DEW is still evaluating claims.

DEW does not yet have data on how many flood-related claims came from each county, how many have been approved or how much money has been dispersed, he said.

But DEW’s preliminary data shows the majority of flood-related applicants are not seeking a second week of unemployment benefits, Bouyea said.

“That’s a good indication that people are getting back to work,” Bouyea. “It’s still early, though.”

This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 7:05 PM with the headline "Thousands across state applied for flood-related unemployment benefits."