Government Affairs

Hurricane Sandy Information and Updates

Our thoughts go out to all and certainly, do not hesitate to be in touch if there is anything you think we may be able to do to help.

For loss prevention and asset protection information and questions please contact Rhett Asher (rasher@fmi.org or 202.220.0774)

FMI Crisis Management Page

(Update 11/28/2012)

Please see the latest comprehensive list from USDA/FNS of actions taken in response to the recovery with SNAP and WIC.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/disasters/response/pdf/Hurricane_Sandy.pdf

(Update 11/21/2012)

New York Hot Foods Retailer Notice Extension Through 12-31-12

USDA has filed the following notice with an extension: Due to Hurricane Sandy, and effective immediately, retail food stores licensed by the Food and Nutrition Service to accept SNAP benefits in the following counties may accept SNAP benefits in exchange for HOT foods and foods intended to be consumed on retailer premises:
Bronx, Brooklyn (Kings), Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island (Richmond), Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Westchester, Orange, Putnam and Sullivan

These special rules are in effect through December 31, 2012

(Update 11/20/2012)

New Jersey - Residents of the following counties will be eligible for D-SNAP benefits:

Atlantic, Bergen, selected zip codes in Burlington and Cumberland, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren counties. Additional counties may be added to the D-SNAP as requested and approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service.

(Update 11/19/2012)

New Jersey - On November 16, U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) announced that USDA will increase the amount of replacement SNAP benefits for New Jersey residents in 16 New Jersey counties most heavily impacted by Superstorm Sandy from 25 to 30 percent.

Because of the flooding and outages caused by Superstorm Sandy, USDA had previously waived regulations that require SNAP beneficiaries to report benefit losses within 10 days and approved an automatic benefits replacement equal to 25 percent of monthly benefits. Further damage and flooding assessments from FEMA and local reports of refrigerated food spoiled during the power outages prompted USDA to increase the scale of the replacement benefits to 30 percent.

(Update 11/16/2012)

New York - Westchester County D-SNAP Benefits Available

(Update 11/13/2012)

New York WIC Substution

Information for Vendors --- http://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/nutrition/wic/info_for_vendors.htm

In order for you to see the information that NYS DOH is providing to WIC customers, please see the following:
Emergency Notice for WIC Participants

Pennsylvania has been approved to replace 40% of October benefits in 11 counties -- Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Pike, Cameron, Clearfield and Juniata. They expect to make benefits available on or about November 16th.

(Update 11/8/2012)

New Jersey has approval to add the following counties to their hot foods waiver: Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren.

(Update 11/7/2012)

New Jersey Hot Foods Waiver

Multi-agency government website -- http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Weather/Hurricane/sandy.shtml -- Here you can: register for assistance, including for business loans; find safety and health tips; find family and friends; and more.

Power Restoration Information: http://energy.gov/sandy

Connecticut has been approved to replace 25% of October benefits for existing SNAP households in the counties of Fairfield and New London, and in 31 towns in the counties of New Haven, Middlesex, Litchfield, Hartford, Tolland and Windham. They expect to make these replacement benefits available to SNAP clients on or about Nov 9^th. On 11/7 - FNS approved replacements of 25% of October benefits in 18 additional towns (i.e. Avon, Barkhamsted, Bethlehem, Chaplin, Columbia, Glastonbury, Haddam, Harwinton, Hebron, Kent, Morris, New Hartford, North Branford, Oxford, Salisbury, Tolland, Windham, Woodbury).

Rhode Island has been approved to replace 25% of October benefits for existing SNAP households in Charlestown, Exeter, Foster, Glocester, Hopkinton, Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Narragansett, Newport, Richmond, South Kingston, Tiverton, Westerly, and Scituate. They expect to make these replacement benefits available to SNAP clients on or about Nov 9^th.

Virginia has been approved to replace 29% of October benefits for existing SNAP households in Accomack county.
They expected to make these replacement benefits available to SNAP clients on or about Nov 5^th.

Maryland has been approved to replace 30% of October benefits for existing SNAP households in Garrett, Somerset, Cecil and Harford counties. They expected to make these replacement benefits available to SNAP clients on or about Nov 5^th.

New York has been approved to replace 50% of October benefits for existing SNAP households Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan and Westchester Counties and 82 zip codes in the 5 boroughs of NYC (http://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/blog/entry/comprehensive-post-storm-information-food-water-shelter-disaster-assistance/). They expect to make replacements available to SNAP clients on or about Nov 8^th.

New York also has a hot foods waiver in these areas through November 30^th allowing the sale of hot foods with SNAP benefits.

New Jersey has been approved to replace 25% of October benefits in 16 counties -- Atlantic, Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Monmouth, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren, and in Cape May. They expect to make benefits available on or about November 9^th.

New Jersey also has an approved hot foods waiver in 10 counties -- Atlantic, Bergen, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset, and Union -- through November 30^th allowing the sale of hot foods with SNAP benefits.

(Update 11/6/2012)

Comprehensive List From USDA FNS On Action Taken So Far:http://www.fns.usda.gov/disasters/response/pdf/response_to_Hurricane_Sandy.pdf

(Update 11/5/2012)

New York has been approved to replace a portion of October benefits for existing SNAP households in Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan and Westchester counties, and in several zip codes in the five boroughs of New York City, including all of Richmond County (Staten Island).

They expect to make these replacement benefits available to SNAP clients on or about Nov 8th.

In addition, NY has received approval for hot food sales via SNAP authorized retailers; the hot foods waiver is effective immediately.

Connecticut has been approved to replace a portion of October benefits for existing SNAP households in the counties of Fairfield and New London, and in 31 towns in the counties of New Haven, Middlesex, Litchfield, Hartford, Tolland and Windham. They expect to make these replacement benefits available to SNAP clients on or about Nov 9th.

Rhode Island has been approved to replace a portion of October benefits for existing SNAP households in Charlestown, Exeter, Foster, Glocester, Hopkinton, Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Narragansett, Newport, Richmond, South Kingston, Tiverton, Westerly, and Scituate. They expect to make these replacement benefits available to SNAP clients on or about Nov 5th.

Virginia has been approved to replace a portion of October benefits for existing SNAP households in Accomack county. They expect to make these replacement benefits available to SNAP clients on or about Nov 5th.

Maryland has been approved to replace a portion of October benefits for existing SNAP households in Cecil and Hartford counties. They expect to make these replacement benefits available to SNAP clients on or about Nov 5th.

FEMA Assistance

FEMA Homepage Listing Programs Available for Individuals: http://www.fema.gov/grants-assistance-programs-individuals

FEMA Housing Assistance: http://www.fema.gov/apply-assistance/what-specific-items-are-covered-housing-assistance

Apply for Housing Assistance: http://www.fema.gov/apply-assistance

FEMA Disaster Housing: From Sheltering to Permanent Housing: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40810.pdf

Small Business Loans to Reopen Your Business: http://www.sba.gov/content/2012-hurricane-and-tropical-storm-recovery-assistance-information

Federal Disaster Recovery Programs: Brief Summaries:http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/crs/RL31734.pdf

(Update 11/2/2012)

Maryland has been approved to replace a portion of October benefits for existing SNAP clients in two counties – Garrett and Somerset. The State has estimated that this will impact 4,874 households. They expect to make benefits available on or about Nov 2nd.

We will keep you updated regarding other waivers and approvals as they happen.

(Update 11/1/2012)

National Infrastructure Coordinating Center -- Hurricane Sandy State Access Control Procedures

USDA Assistance Programs -- Disaster Fact Sheet: USDA Programs that Assist Individuals and Small Businesses (Updated October 2012)

FMI Supermarket Security Manual

(Update 10/31/2012)

Below is a link to an excellent handbook on Disaster SNAP and the other waivers that can be granted by USDA including Replacements of SNAP food lost due to storm and Hot Foods Waivers. Feel free to share this as you like.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/disasters/response/D-SNAP_Handbook/D-SNAP_handbook.pdf

We have been in touch with USDA FNS, both on the SNAP and WIC side today to ask for any updates on requests for waivers, grants of waivers or benefits issuance date changes and will forward those to you as we receive them.
As you will see in this manual, DSNAP benefits are not issued until the commercial food supply and infrastructure is restored, so it is certainly not immediate.

Below is a quote from USDA on potential timing.

“Affected States need to receive a Presidential Disaster Declaration that includes individual assistance (for now they only have emergency declarations) before they can request DSNAP. That calls for FEMA to get out after the storm passes and do preliminary damage assessments and requires disaster areas to be able to administer DSNAP once infrastructure is restored to allow transactions."

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An example of a waiver for Department of Transportation hours regulations for areas impacted by the Sandy is available here.

Thank you to Ellie Taylor of the Alabama Grocers Association for providing this document.