NICHOLS, SC (WBTW) – The Town of Nichols is beginning the process of handing out donated money to families whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Matthew flood waters.

Nichols Town Administrator Sandy Rogers says 90% of the town’s population is now living outside town limits. Money donated from people across South Carolina and even outside the state will soon be made available to families attempting to rebuild.

“It is great to know that there are so many good people out there,” said Rogers. “We see a lot of bad in the news, but what we have experienced here are a lot of good-hearted people trying to help.”

Rogers says the town began sending out pre-applications to access the needs of home owner damage.

“It’s pretty definitive on whether they need money for rebuild, buyout. It kind of gives a broad spectrum of where their thought process is going. Either getting back into their home or relocating,” explains Rogers.

Rogers says the town also received donations from across the country, however, town officials do not want to say how much money they have raised.

Officials estimate only 10% of the town’s population is currently living in the 260 homes in Nichols. Julia Garrias Sanderson and her husband are one of those families.

“It’s been a struggle,” says Sanderson. “All of our stuff was thrown out and we had to tear everything out of our house down to the sub floors.”

Sanderson says while they rebuild, she and her husband are living in a camper, but the camper must go back at the end of March. The couple had to begin reconstruction using their savings and assistance from FEMA.

“It’s a struggle, using some of your savings. We have retired and it’s kind of hard to use up your stuff that you were going to use in your retirement and now we have to use it to fix our house back,” explains Sanderson.

The long-time Nichols resident plans to fill out a pre-application form in hopes of receiving some of the donated money.

“I hope that the people in Nichols that did have flood damage will get this money,” says Sanderson.

The pre-applications are available at the Town Hall for pick-up or by mail. For residents displaced to another part of South Carolina, town leaders can send the pre-application through the mail. The town is still accepting donations.

If you would like to donate or have a pre-application mailed to your home, call Nichols Town Hall at (843) 526-2193.