Hurricanes Helene and Milton caused severe damage to many homes in Florida. Millions of Floridians went several days without electricity and backup generators, causing their perishable food in refrigerators and freezers to spoil. This situation prompted immediate action by the state, so the D-SNAP program was implemented for those affected.
This program is similar to the conventional SNAP that is provided in all states, however, it is activated when a natural disaster occurs, which is why it is called the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). It provides short-term funds for people who meet certain requirements established by each state.
D-SNAP benefits are now available
To obtain support from this food assistance program, applicants must demonstrate that they have been living in one of the Florida counties that were declared disaster areas after the passage of Hurricanes Helene or Milton. Additionally, they must have suffered damage to their home or the loss of their food, or even their income has been affected by the natural disaster.
The D-SNAP benefit is similar to the one that is received on a regular monthly basis. The credit will be reloaded onto an EBT card and can be used to purchase food staples at some supermarkets and authorized stores.
Alethea Parker, a representative of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, stated that the state will recover any amount of funds that have not been used on the EBT card after 90 days.