Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in several Shelby County zip codes will receive automatic replacement benefits to help with ongoing recovery from the Aug. 22 bow echo storm that hit Memphis.
The storm left over well 100,000 Memphis Light, Gas and Water customers without power at its onset, and tens of thousands without electricity for days, spoiling perishable groceries.
But the Tennessee Department of Human Services announced Sept. 4 that eligible households in the following Shelby County zip codes would receive replacement SNAP benefits to recuperate from the food loss:
- 38004
- 38108
- 38111
- 38115
- 38116
- 38119
- 38126
- 38141
The department said it began issuing automatic replacement benefits Sept. 4, following approval from the USDA.
The amount of replacement benefits households
will receive is based on the date their August SNAP benefit was issued, according to the department. Here's the replacement rates households can expect:
Recipients do not need to visit a local Department of Human Services office or submit any paperwork through its online portal. The benefits will be issued automatically on existing EBT cards for those who qualify.
SNAP-receiving households outside of the qualifying zip codes that have still experienced food loss due to the power outages can still request replacement SNAP benefits through Sept. 11 through the department's website.
More information is available on the state's Disaster Related Emergency Assistance page.
The City of Memphis, in partnership with United Way of the Mid-South, made $100,000 available in grocery assistance money a few days after the storm to relieve families who had dealt with extended power outages, but it wasn't enough. The money ran out within a few hours of it being made available to the families that were hit the hardest.
Annie Goldman covers government for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at annie.goldman@commercialappeal.com or 901-930-7431, and followed on X @AnnieSGoldman.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Some Shelby County zip codes get automatic SNAP reimbursement after power outage
