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You are here: Home > Disaster Assistance

2008 FNS Hurricane Response & Recovery Assistance

Hurricane Gustav

 The Food & Nutrition Service is working with state and local officials to ensure that individuals and families affected by the 2008 hurricanes and tornadoes have access to food. Through its Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP), people who might not ordinarily qualify for SNAP benefits may be eligible if they have had disaster damage to their homes or expenses related to protecting their homes, or if they have lost income as a result of the disaster, or have no access to bank accounts or other resources.
FNS also makes USDA commodity foods available to disaster relief agencies to assist with feeding people at shelters and mass feeding sites.
Information about specific hurricane disaster assistance is listed below. Click on each hurricane for a full report of FNS activities.
 
Bullet Hurricane Omar
 
Oct. 21  Update

-- On October 21, FNS approved the US Virgin Islands’ waiver request to enable
    households to receive SNAP replacement benefits without the necessity of
    appearing in the local SNAP office to sign an affidavit attesting to food loss.  
    A 50-percent allotment of replacement benefits will be automatically issued to all
    regular SNAP households on the island of St. Croix as of Oct. 15, 2008 to allow
    replacement of any perishables purchased with October benefits and lost due to
    subsequent power outages caused by Hurricane Omar.
 

Bullet Indiana Flooding
 
Oct. 17 Update:
-- FNS approved Indiana's requests to:
o Operate D-SNAP in 17 counties that received Presidential disaster declarations with individual assistance due to September flooding. high winds and attendant damage and the resulting power outages.
 
Clark Crawford Dearborn Floyd
Jackson Knox Lake Lawrence
LaPorte Martin Perry Pike
Porter Scott Spencer Switzerland
Washington      
Bullet Hurricane Ike
 
Sept. 28 Update

-- On Sept. 26 FNS approved Texas’ waiver request to amend its Modified
    SNAP and use a Standard Disaster Expense Deduction in addition to the ordinary
    income exclusions and deductions that they have been using in order to provide
    sufficient food assistance to newly applying households in the 29 counties affected
    by Hurricane Ike.
 

Oct. 23 Update:
-- On Oct. 23, FNS amended approved Louisiana’s request to issue a second full month
    of D-SNAP benefits and supplements to ongoing households in the seven parishes
    impacted by both Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike and that have already been
    approved for D-SNAP benefits under the Gustav D-SNAP.  The seven parishes are
    Calcasieu, Cameron, Iberia, Jefferson, St. Mary, Terrebonne, and Vermilion.
-- FNS granted mass replacement of September SNAP benefits at 50 percent
    of the September allotment, or $10, whichever is greater to regular SNAP
    recipients in 14 Louisiana parishes affected by power outages as a result
    of Hurricane Ike.
-- FNS approved Louisiana’s request for authority to allow non-merit workers to
    perform certification functions for D-SNAP operation following Hurricane Ike,
    specifically allowing volunteers and other non-State agency employees to interview
    households and determine their eligibility for the program in order to speed food aid |   to disaster victims.
 
Bullet Hurricane Gustav 

 
Additional Information
Bullet FNS Fact Sheet:  Food Assistance for Disaster Relief
Bullet FNS FAQs: Food Assistance in Disaster Situations
Bullet Disaster SNAP Handbook
Bullet USDA Hurricane Relief Information
Bullet USDA Emergency Preparedness and Response
Bullet

DisasterHelp.gov - Additional Disaster Information

Bullet USA.gov - Hurricane Response and Recovery

 

Last modified: 11/25/2008