Alabama residents can get replacement SNAP benefits after Autauga tornado

Recipients of SNAP benefits who lost food items in the Jan. 12 tornadoes may be eligible for free replacements.

The Alabama Department of Human Resources is replacing SNAP benefits for recipients who “experienced storm-related food losses” in the six affected counties – Autauga, Chambers, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore and Tallapoosa.

Recipients have until Feb. 2 to request replacement benefits. Here’s how:

To request replacement benefits, view the map here to find your county’s DHR office. You’ll need to go there in person to ask for an affidavit of loss. Most offices are open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
An affidavit of loss is a form that will determine how much recipients can get back in SNAP benefits.
To fill out the form, keep your case number and any other SNAP information handy. Recipients will also need to know the cost of the food that was destroyed.

The announcement comes as communities struggle to rebuild from recent severe weather, which spawned at least 13 tornadoes in Central Alabama, including a potential EF-3 storm that killed seven people in Autauga County.

According to the department, 42,071 SNAP recipients live in those six counties, which already have some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the state.

“The January 12th storms brought destruction, heartache and an increased risk of hunger to many Alabamians in these six counties,” Alabama DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner said in a news release. “We are committed to promoting continued food security throughout the recovery process. No one affected by these devastating storms should have to worry about their next meal.”