How Columbia-area residents can help victims of Hurricane Florence flooding
If you’d like to help those affected by the flooding from Hurricane Florence, several Columbia-area agencies are collecting supplies and donations.
Florence battered the Carolinas and caused severe flooding in some areas. The North Carolina city of New Bern appeared particularly hard hit, with an estimated 4,300 homes damaged by the storm and floods. Several state and local agencies are collecting supplies to send to those hardest hit.
The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department is teaming up with several organizations, including Serve and Connect, Harvest Hope Food Bank, the S.C. Police Chiefs Association and the S.C. Law Enforcement Officers Association to collect items for people in the Pee Dee area of South Carolina.
Donations of bottled water, nonperishable food items, cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items can be dropped off at the sheriff’s department’s headquarters, 521 Gibson Road in Lexington. The agency will accept donations Monday through Wednesday from noon to 5:30 p.m. each day.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department also is accepting donations of bottled water, nonperishable food items, cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items at its location at 2500 Decker Blvd. Items can be dropped off Monday through Wednesday from noon to 5:30 p.m.
Serve and Connect also is accepting donations at the Columbia Police Department’s office at 715 Bluff Road, Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and at the Lexington Police Department’s headquarters, 111 Maiden Lane in Lexington, Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Columbia Relief, which began as UofSC Relief after the flooding that devastated Columbia in 2015, is collecting items at more than three dozen locations including downtown Columbia, Forest Acres, Irmo and northeast Columbia. The organization also is holding a “Pack the Bus” event Saturday at the Soda City Market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from noon to 2 p.m. at the Columbia Convention Center.
In addition to bottled water, nonperishable food items, cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items, the “Pack the Bus” event will accept donations of new or used and clean clothing.
Harvest Hope Food Bank has partnered with Amazon and the American Red Cross to set up an online wish list with items needed for flood recovery.
Law enforcement officials are urging people to beware of scammers looking to profit off of people’s generosity in the wake of Florence and research organizations before donating money to them.
This story was originally published September 17, 2018 at 12:39 PM.