FNS Disaster Assistance

California Disaster Nutrition Assistance

    Incident: California Power Outages

    Began: October 2019

    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP)
    • On November 18, 2019 FNS approved a mass replacement request from the State of California to 104 zip codes in 20 counties. The waiver approval will allow households in these affected zip codes to receive replacement of 15% of the October SNAP benefit. These replacement SNAP benefits will allow households to replace food lost as a result of pro-active de-energization of power lines by Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison that occurred from October 23, 2019 through October 31, 2019.  
    • On November 1, 2019 FNS approved a waiver request from the State of California to waive timely reporting of food loss to households for the entire State of California. This waiver approval allows households in the affected areas to request a replacement of SNAP benefits through November 22, 2019, to replace food lost as a result of Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison power outages that began October 23, 2019.
    • On October 21, 2019, FNS approved California’s request to issue mass replacements to 231 zip codes in 28 counties. This waiver approval allows households in these affected zip codes to receive replacement of 60% of the October SNAP benefit. These replacement SNAP benefits allow households to replace food lost as a result of pro-active de-energization of power lines by Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison that began on October 9, 2019.
    Child Nutrition Programs
    • On October 30, 2019, FNS approved a request from California for SFAs impacted by the public safety power outages. The California Department of Education made this request on behalf of SFA in 45 counties. The State agency reported that schools in the affected counties are experiencing spoiled food inventory, making compliance with the school meal pattern requirements difficult. Schools in the affected counties may serve and claim for reimbursement school lunch and breakfast meals that do not meet the meal pattern requirements, through November 12, 2019.

     

    Incident: Kincade Wildfire

    Began: October 2019

    Child Nutrition Programs
    • On November 1, 2019, FNS approved the request for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP) meal pattern flexibility in the 38 School Food Authorities (SFAs) in Sonoma County and six SFAs in Lake County impacted by the Kincade fire effective October 23, 1019 through November 25, 2019.

     

    Incident: California Earthquake

    July 2019

    Child Nutrition Programs
    • On Aug. 1, 2019, FNS issued a letter approving a request for two school districts in Kern and San Bernardino Counties, California impacted by two major earthquakes. Trona Joint Unified School District and Sierra Sands Unified School District may serve lunches and breakfasts for reimbursement that do not meet the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program meal patterns through September 30, 2019. The state agency reported that the earthquakes have damaged numerous schools, homes, commercial structures, and roadways. This approval is expected to help Trona Joint Unified School District and Sierra Sands Unified School District overcome barriers to standard Program operations as the districts recover from the earthquakes.
    • On July 12, 2019, FNS approved the California Department of Education’s (CDE) request for flexibility in meal pattern requirements for school food authorities operating the Seamless Summer Option in communities affected by earthquakes in Kern and San Bernardino Counties on July 4 and 5, 2019. This approval allows affected schools to serve meals that do not meet the NSLP meal pattern, through Aug. 5, 2019.

     

    Incident: California Earthquake

    July 2019

    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP)
    • On July 9 and July 11, 2019, FNS approved California’s requests to waive timely reporting of food loss for households in Kern County and San Bernardino counties; this waiver approval will allow households in Kern and San Bernardino County to make a request for replacement of SNAP benefits through Aug. 5, 2019. These replacement SNAP benefits will allow households to replace food lost due to power outages caused by earthquakes and aftershocks that began on July 4, 2019.

     

    Incident: California Storms and Subsequent Power Outages

    February 2019

    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP)
    • On March 4, 2019, FNS approved California’s request to waive timely reporting of food loss to households in the counties of Lake, Sonoma and Mendocino. This waiver approval will allow households in these affected counties to make a request for replacement of SNAP benefits through March 26, 2019. These replacement benefits will allow households to replace food lost due to heavy rainfall and flooding resulting from storms that began on February 25, 2019.

     

    Incident: Snow Storms and Subsequent Power Outages

    February 2019

    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    • On February 25, 2019, FNS approved California’s request to waive timely reporting of food loss to households in Shasta County and will allow households in the affected county to make a request for replacement of SNAP benefits through March 14, 2019. These replacement benefits will allow households to replace food lost due to power outages resulting from the snow storms.
    • FNS also approved California’s request to issue mass replacements of SNAP benefits for residents in impacted zip codes in Shasta County that suffered food losses resulting from power outages caused by the snow storms that began on February 12, 2019.

     

    Incident: Camp, Hill, and Woolsey Fires

    November 2018

    Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP)
    • On Nov. 29, 2018, FNS approved California’s request to operate a D-SNAP in Butte County starting on December 12. Look for specific information regarding D-SNAP eligibility and operations on state web pages or call the state’s SNAP hotline.
      -- SNAP Hotline: 877-847-3663
      -- Disaster CalFresh
      -- If you need assistance with or a replacement of your EBT card, please call the state’s EBT customer service number at: 877-328-9677
    • On Nov. 28, 2018, FNS approved California’s request to operate a D-SNAP in certain zip codes Los Angeles and Ventura counties starting on December 3. Look for specific information regarding D-SNAP eligibility and operations on state web pages or call the state’s SNAP hotline.
      -- SNAP Hotline: 877-847-3663
      -- Disaster CalFresh
      -- If you need assistance with or a replacement of your EBT card, please call the state’s EBT customer service number at: 877-328-9677
    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    • On Dec. 18, 2018, FNS approved California’s extension request to allow hot foods to be purchased at SNAP authorized retailers through January 16, 2019. The waiver applies to the counties of Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Plumas, Sutter, Tehama, and Yuba.
    • On Nov. 29, 2018, FNS approved California's request to issue automatic disaster supplements to ongoing SNAP households in the following zip codes in Butte County: 95916, 95928, 95942, 95954, 95965, 95966, 95969, and 95978.
    • On Nov. 28, 2018, FNS approved California's request to issue automatic disaster supplements to ongoing SNAP households in the following zip codes:
      -- Los Angeles: 90263, 90290, 90265, 91302, 90264, 91012, 91301, 91304, 91307, 91361, 91362, 91372;
      -- Ventura: 91377, 91320, 91361, 91362, 93012, 93042, 93065.
    • On Nov. 21, 2018, FNS approved California’s request to issue mass replacements of SNAP benefits for residents in the following impacted zip codes:
      -- Ventura County: 91377
      -- Los Angeles County: 90263, 90290, 90265, and 91302
    • On Nov. 19, 2018, FNS approved California’s request to issue mass replacements of SNAP benefits for residents that suffered food losses due to power outages caused by the Camp Fire and pro-active de-energization of power lines by the local utility. This approval applies to the following impacted zip codes:
      -- Butte County: 95978, 95942, 95954, and 95969
      -- Plumas County: 95923, 95984, 95956, 95983, 96137, 95947, 95971, 95934, and 95915
    • On Nov. 16, 2018, FNS approved California’s request to allow; hot foods to be purchased at SNAP authorized retailers through Dec. 17, 2018. The waiver applies to the counties of Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Plumas, Tehama, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Sutter, Yuba, and Ventura.
      -- Hot Foods Notice to Retailers
      -- Retailers may need 24-36 hours to make changes that will allow for the sale of hot foods
    • On Nov. 16, 2018, FNS approved California’s request to waive timely reporting of food loss to households in the counties of Butte, Ventura and Los Angeles. This waiver approval will allow households in these affected counties to make a request for replacement of SNAP benefits through Dec. 10, 2018.
    Disaster Household Distribution Program (DHD)
    • On Nov. 21, 2018, FNS approved a request from California to operate a Disaster Household Distribution Program in Butte County and surrounding areas (Colusa, Glenn, Plumas, Tehama, Shasta, Sutter and Yuba Counties). The program is expected to serve up to 8,000 people with food boxes beginning November 26 and operating for approximately two weeks.
    Child Nutrition Programs
    • On Dec. 20, 2018, FNS approved California's request to extend disaster waivers for Paradise Unified School District. Paradise Unified School District may continue to serve and claim for reimbursement for school lunch and breakfast meals that do not meet the meal pattern requirements through March 1, 2019. Paradise Unified School District may also continue to serve all school lunch and breakfast meals to students at no cost and claim meals at the free reimbursement rate through March 1, 2019.
    • On Nov. 30, 2018, FNS issued a disaster approval for Butte County in response to the Camp Fire. Schools in Butte County may serve and claim for reimbursement school lunch and breakfast meals that do not meet the meal pattern requirements through December 31, 2018. Schools in Butte County may also serve all school lunch and breakfast meals to students at no cost and claim meals at the free reimbursement rate through December 31, 2018.

     

    Incident: Wildfire

    October 14, 2018

    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    • On Oct. 24, 2018, FNS approved California’s request to issue mass replacements of SNAP benefits for residents that suffered food losses resulting from power outages, which occurred when power was proactively shut down due to extreme fire conditions. This approval applies to the following impacted zip codes:
      -- Amador County: 95601, 95666, 95689, 95665, and 95629
      -- Butte County: 95914
      -- Calaveras County: 95257, 95255, 95232, and 95248
      -- El Dorado County: 95636, 95634, 95726, 95684, 95633, 95720, 95635, and 95667
      -- Lake County: 95426, 95461, 95467, and 95423
      -- Napa County: 94508, 94567, 94576, and 94515
      -- Placer County: 95631, 95714, 95717, and 95701
      -- Yuba County: 95962, 95935, and 95919
    • California intends to issue replacement benefits as early as Oct. 25, 2018.

     

    Incident: Carr Wildfire

    Began July 23, 2018

    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    • On July 28, FNS approved California’s request for timely household reporting of food loss for Shasta County. This waiver approval allowed households to make a request for replacement of SNAP benefits through Aug. 21, 2018. These replacement SNAP benefits allowed households to replace food lost as a result of the Carr Fire.
    • On August 8, FNS approved California's request for timely household reporting of food loss for Trinity County. This waiver approval will allow households to make a request for replacement of SNAP benefits through Sept. 5, 2018. These replacement SNAP benefits will allow households to replace food lost as a result of the Carr Fire.
    • On August 10, 2018, FNS approved the California request for automatic mass replacements in Shasta County. This waiver approval will allow households to receive replacement benefits without having to appear at a local SNAP office to sign an affidavit attesting to food loss, and will allow local DSS offices to operate the program in a more efficient and effective manner. This waiver applies to the following zip codes: 96033, 96047 and 96087.
    • On August 15, 2018, FNS approved the California Department of Social Services’ request to operate D-SNAP in Shasta County due to the impacts of the ongoing Carr Fire. The state agency accepted D-SNAP applications from August 22 through August 25, 2018, and will continue to accept application from August 27 through August 29, 2018. FNS also approved automatic supplements for ongoing SNAP households in zip codes 96001, 96003, 96019, 96079, 96089, 96033, 96087, 96047, and 96095.
    • On August 16, 2018 FNS approved California’s request to allow for hot foods to be purchased at SNAP authorized retailers. Due to the power outages, displacement from homes and structure loss caused by the Carr Fire, FNS has approved a waiver so that affected SNAP households in Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Trinity counties are able to buy hot foods and hot food products with their SNAP benefits through Sept. 16, 2018.
    Child Nutrition Programs
    • On August 10, FNS approved California’s request for disaster waivers to assist schools impacted by the Carr Fire. These waivers apply to schools that operate the school lunch and school breakfast programs in Shasta County.
      -- Schools in Shasta County may serve and claim all school lunch and school breakfast meals at the Free Reimbursement Rate, effective Aug. 13 through Sept. 30, 2018.
      -- Schools in Shasta County may serve school lunch and school breakfast meals that do not meet the menu planning or meal pattern requirements, effective Aug. 13 through Sept. 30, 2018.
    • California also has the discretion to execute the following flexibilities in Shasta County: Flexibility to allow organizations with current agreements to operate the Summer Food Service Program to open emergency feeding sites, Flexibility to allow Summer Food Service Program sites to be located at school sites during school closure, and Flexibility to designate any appropriate facility as an emergency shelter and waive Child and Adult Care Food Program application requirements.

     

    Incident: Cranston Fire

    Began July 25, 2018

    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    • On August 6, FNS approved California's request for timely household reporting of food loss for Riverside County. This waiver approval allowed households to make a request for replacement of SNAP benefits through Aug. 23, 2018. These replacement SNAP benefits allowed households to replace food lost as a result of the Cranston Fire.
    • On August 13, 2018, FNS approved California’s request to issue mass replacements for certain zip codes in Riverside County. This waiver approval will allow the California Department of Social Services to automatically replace 30 percent of the July 2018 SNAP benefit for households affected by the Cranston Fire in the following zip codes: 92536, 92539 and 92561.

     

    Incident: Mendocino Complex Wildfire

    Began July 27, 2018

    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    • On July 31, FNS approved California’s request for timely household reporting of food loss for Mendocino and Lake Counties. This waiver approval allowed households to make a request for replacement of SNAP benefits through Aug. 26, 2018. These replacement SNAP benefits allowed households to replace food lost as a result of the River and Ranch Fires.
    • On August 10, 2018, FNS approved the California request for automatic mass replacements in Lake and Mendocino Counties. This waiver approval will allow households to receive replacement benefits without having to appear at a local SNAP office to sign an affidavit attesting to food loss, and will allow local DSS offices to operate the program in a more efficient and effective manner. This waiver applies to the following zip codes:
    • Lake County: 95458, 95464, 95485, and 95493;
    • Mendocino County: 95410, 95415, 95420, 95427, 95432, 95437, 95456, 95459, 95460, 95463, 95466, 95469, 95470, 95482, 95488, 95490, and 95494.
    • On August 20, 2018, FNS approved the California Department of Social Services’ request to operate D-SNAP in Lake County. The State agency accepted D-SNAP applications from August 22 through August 25, 2018, and will continue to accept applications from August 27 through August 29, 2018. FNS also approved automatic supplements for ongoing SNAP households in zip codes: 95458, 95464, 95485, 95493, 95453, 95423, 95451, 95443, and 95435.
    • On August 20, 2018, FNS approved an amended hot foods waiver so that affected SNAP households in Colusa, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, and Yolo counties are able to buy hot foods and hot food products with their SNAP benefits through September 16, 2018.

     

    Incident: Ferguson Wildfire

    Began July 13, 2018

    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    • On July 25, 2018, FNS approved California’s request for timely household reporting of food loss for Mariposa County. This waiver approval allowed households to request replacement of SNAP benefits through Aug. 13, 2018. These replacement SNAP benefits allow households to replace food lost as a result of the Ferguson Fire.

     

    Incident: Klamathon Wildfire

    Began July 5, 2018

    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    • On July 13, FNS approved California's request for timely household reporting of food loss for Siskiyou County, California. This waiver approval allowed households to make a request for replacement of SNAP benefits through Aug. 6, 2018. These replacement SNAP benefits allowed households to replace food lost as a result of the Klamathon Fire.

     

    Incident: Pawnee Wildfire

    Began June 23, 2018

    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    • On June 29, 2018, FNS approved California’s request for timely household reporting of food loss for Lake County, California. This waiver approval allowed households to make a request for replacement of SNAP benefits through July 23, 2018. These replacement SNAP benefits allowed households to replace food lost as a result of the Pawnee Fire.

     

    Incident: Wildfires and Mudslides

    Began Dec. 4, 2017 and Jan. 9, 2018

    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

    • On Feb. 8, 2018, FNS approved the California Department of Social Services' (CDSS) request to operate a D-SNAP in 11 zip codes within Los Angeles and San Diego counties due to the impact of multiple wildfires in December 2017. The approved zip codes were: 91342, 91040, 91042, 91355, 91381, 91384, and 90077 (Los Angeles County) and 92028, 92003, 92084, and 92057 (San Diego County). CDSS accepted D-SNAP applications in Los Angeles County for 7 non-consecutive days, beginning Feb. 13 through Feb. 16, 2018, then resumed on Feb. 20, and ended on Feb. 22, 2018. CDSS accepted D-SNAP applications in San Diego County for 5 days, beginning Feb. 12, through Feb. 16, 2018. The State agency may have automatically issued a 1-month disaster supplement to all ongoing SNAP households in the 11 approved zip codes. Ongoing households that lived or worked outside of these 11 zip codes may have requested disaster supplements on an individual basis via a signed affidavit attesting to their disaster losses. Ongoing SNAP households already receiving the maximum monthly SNAP allotment for their household size were not eligible for disaster supplements. No household may receive more than the maximum monthly allotment for their household size.
    • On Feb. 1, 2018, FNS approved a waiver so that affected SNAP recipients in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties were able to buy hot foods and hot food products with their SNAP benefits through Feb. 28, 2018.
    • On Feb. 1, 2018, FNS approved the California Department of Social Services' (CDSS) request to operate a Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties due to the combined impact of multiple wildfires in December 2017 and mudslides in January 2018. CDSS accepted D-SNAP applications in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties for 7 non-consecutive days, beginning Feb. 6 through Feb. 9, then resumed on Feb. 12, and ended on Feb. 14, 2018. CDSS accepts applications at 7 CDSS offices in the approved counties. The State agency may have automatically issued a 1-month disaster supplement to all ongoing SNAP households in the following 20 zip codes that experienced either a power outage of more than 4 hours, mandatory evacuations, or both:
      Santa Barbara: 93102, 93105, 93108, 93110, 93111, 93067, 93103, 93117
      Ventura: 93001, 93003, 93004, 93012, 93013, 93015, 93022, 93023, 93033, 93035, 93041, 93060
    • Because ongoing households may have been impacted in December, January, or both months, the State determined the amount of the supplement based on the household's size and composition in the earliest month it was affected. Ongoing households that lived or worked outside of these zip codes may have requested disaster supplements on an individual basis via a signed affidavit attesting to their disaster losses. Ongoing SNAP households already receiving the maximum monthly SNAP allotment for their household size were not eligible for disaster supplements. No household may receive more than the maximum monthly allotment for their household size.
    • On Dec. 21, 2017, FNS approved California’s request to issue SNAP mass replacement benefits for certain zip codes in Ventura County. This waiver approval allowed the California Department of Social Services to automatically replace 60 percent of the December 2017 SNAP benefit for households affected by the wildfires in the following zip codes in Ventura County: 93001, 93004, 93012, 93022, 93033, 93035, and 93041. These replacement benefits allowed households to replace food lost as a result of the fires. On Dec. 22, 2017, FNS approved an amendment to California’s request for mass replacement of SNAP benefits at 60 percent, in San Diego County, for the following zip codes: 91905, 91916, 91963, 91980, 92036, 92066, 92070, 92086.
    • On Dec. 10 and 13, 2017, respectively, FNS approved the California Department of Social Services' (DSS) requests to waive the 10-day reporting requirement under SNAP regulations at 7 CFR 274.6(a) for replacement of food purchased with SNAP benefits that was destroyed due to power outages or structural damage/loss of homes resulting from the California Wildfires that began on Dec. 4, 2017. The waiver applied to all of Ventura County and the impacted zip codes in Santa Barbara County: 93013, 93067, 93101, 93105, 93106, 93108, 93109, 93110, 93111, 93117, and 93436; Los Angeles County: 90077, 91020, 91040, 91046, 91202, 91203 , 91205, 91206, 91208, 91209, 91214,91221, 91331, 91342, 91355, 91392, and 91393; and San Diego County: 91901, 91905, 91906, 91916, 91917, 91931, 91934, 91935, 91948, 91962, 91963, 91980, 92003, 92026, 92027, 92028, 92036, 92054, 92056, 92057, 92058, 92059, 92060, 92061, 92065, 92066, 92069, 92070, 92082, 92083, 92084, and 92086. The waiver extended the time period for reporting loss of food until Jan. 4, 2018. These replacement SNAP benefits allowed households to replace food lost as a result of the fires.
     
    California Department of Social Service's CalFresh Website:

    http://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/calfresh

    If you think you may be eligible for disaster food assistance in your state, please contact your local state office.

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    11/20/2019