D-SNAP Expansion: Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is helping people in three states through the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). When it hit in late September, the storm did a lot of damage and killed over 200 people.
In response, the USDA is helping specifically those families who are having trouble getting food because of the disaster. The goal is to help those who have been affected.
Highest SNAP Benefits State: What State has the Highest SNAP Benefits for People?
D-SNAP is designed to offer temporary food assistance to individuals who may not usually qualify for regular SNAP benefits but are facing financial hardship due to a natural disaster. While regular SNAP (often called food stamps) provides ongoing support to low-income households, D-SNAP helps people during emergencies when they are most in need.
D-SNAP Expansion: States that qualify for food stamps
About 982,930 households in Georgia, 152,572 in North Carolina, and 54,692 in Tennessee are anticipated to be eligible for this emergency help, according to the USDA. The implementation will take place gradually, with distinct deadlines established for every state region.
The D-SNAP program will be introduced in Georgia in four phases:
Residents in the counties of Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Liberty, and Long can apply for Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits between October 21 and October 26, 2024.
For those living in the counties of Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Camden, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Echols, Glynn, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, and Ware, applications will be accepted from October 29 to November 4, 2024.
The counties of Burke, Columbia, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Screven, and Washington will be accepting applications from November 7 until November 14, 2024.
The last phase, which encompasses Appling, Candler, Emanuel, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne, and Wheeler counties, spans from November 18 to November 23, 2024.
The counties that are eligible for D-SNAP in North Carolina are Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey. The application period for D-SNAP is scheduled to run from October 18 to October 24, 2024.
Applications will be accepted from October 21 to October 25, 2024, from residents of Tennessee counties including Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington.