Photo via Pxhere TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) Florida officials say they have distributed more than $1 billion worth of food assistance following Hurricane Irma. Thousands of people statewide have swamped some of the sites where officials were accepting applications for the program that gives out vouchers to use in grocery stores. LINK: Click here to preregister for Disaster SNAP benefits Some Democratic politicians, including U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, have criticized how the aid has been distributed. As of late last week, the state’s Department of Children and Families said it had processed nearly 700,000 applications from people who applied for help. The state has wrapped up issuing benefits in several counties, but this weekend it opened operations in central Florida. LINK: See locations and times to sign up for benefits Irma ripped through the state in early September, causing damage and thousands of job losses. You can preregister for Disaster SNAP benefits at this link: Food for Florida (Disaster SNAP/ DSNAP).