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Iowa Disaster Nutrition Assistance

No active disaster response efforts at this time.

Past Responses

2024

Incident: Severe Storms

When: June 16, 2024

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

  • On July 23, 2024, FNS approved the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) amended request to waive the statutory definition of "food" under Section 3(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended and accompanying regulations at 7 CFR 271.2. The initial waiver was approved on July 3, 2024, and includes Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sioux and Woodbury counties. The waiver was approved on July 16, 2024, to include Calhoun, Crawford, Ida, Monoma and Sac counties. This amended waiver includes Hancock, Humboldt, Webster and Wright counties bringing the total to 23 counties in order to increase access to food after power outages as a result of severe storms that began June 16, 2024. The waiver remains in effect through Aug. 1, 2024
  • On July 18, 2024, FNS approved the Iowa DHHS request to modify the waiver to extend certification periods for ongoing SNAP households for up to six (6) months due to the impact of severe storms that began on June 16, 2024. The initial waiver was approved on July 3, 2024, and applies to Clay, Emmet, Lyon, Plymouth and Sioux counties. This modification approval includes Buena Vista, O’Brien, Cherokee, and Woodbury counties.
  • On July 16, 2024, FNS approved the Iowa DHHS amended request to waive the statutory definition of "food" under Section 3(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended and accompanying regulations at 7 CFR 271.2. The initial waiver was approved on July 3, 2024, and includes Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sioux and Woodbury counties. This amended waiver approval includes Calhoun, Crawford, Ida, Monoma, and Sac counties, bringing the total to 19 counties in order to increase access to food after power outages as a result of severe storms that began June 16, 2024. The waiver remains in effect through Aug. 1, 2024.
  • On July 15, 2024, FNS approved the Iowa DHHS request to extend the 10-day reporting requirement waiver for food purchased with SNAP benefits that was lost as a result of power outages due to severe storms that began on June 16, 2024. The initial waiver, approved on June 28, 2024, is applied statewide. The waiver is now in effect through July 19, 2024.
  • On July 11, 2024, FNS approved Iowa DHHS request to expand Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) operations to four additional counties in response to the impact of severe storms that occurred on June 16, 2024. President Joseph R. Biden issued a Major Disaster Declaration with Federal Individual Assistance for 5 counties on June 24, 2024. The declaration was amended on July 3, 2024, to add three counties and on July 9, 2024, for one county. The initial waiver approved on July 3, 2024, authorized D-SNAP operations for Clay, Emmet, Lyon, Plymouth, and Sioux counties from July 8, 2024, through July 13, 2024. This modification approves the State to operate D-SNAP for Buena Vista, Cherokee, O’Brien, and Woodbury counties from July 15, 2024, through July 19, 2024.
  • On July 3, 2024, FNS approved the Iowa DHHS request to waive the statutory definition of "food" under Section 3(k)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended and accompanying regulations at 7 CFR 271.2. This waiver approval allows SNAP households in 14 counties: Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sioux and Woodbury to purchase hot foods with SNAP benefits through Aug. 1, 2024, in order to increase access to food after power outages as a result of severe storms that began June 16, 2024. Retailers may need as much as 24-36 hours to make changes that will allow for sale of hot foods.
  • On July 3, 2024, FNS approved the Iowa DHHS request to extend certification periods for ongoing SNAP households in Clay, Emmet, Lyon, Plymouth and Sioux counties for up to six (6) months due to the impact of severe storms that began on June 16, 2024.
  • On July 3, 2024, FNS approved Iowa DHHS request to operate Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) in five counties in response to the impact of severe storms that began on June 16, 2024. Due to these incidents, President Joseph R. Biden issued a major disaster declaration with federal individual assistance for Clay, Emmet, Lyon, Plymouth and Sioux on June 24, 2024. The state plans to operate the D-SNAP July 8, 2024, through July 13, 2024.
  • On June 28, 2024, FNS approved the Iowa DHHS request to waive the 10-day reporting requirement for households impacted by severe storms and power outages due to severe storms that occurred on June 16, 2024. The waiver applies statewide and will be in effect through July 16, 2024.

Incident: Severe Storms

When: June 12, 2024

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

  • On June 21, 2024, FNS approved the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) request to waive the 10-day reporting requirement for food purchased with SNAP benefits that was lost as a result of power outages due to severe storms that began on June 12, 2024. The waiver applies to Carroll, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Harrison, Monona, O’Brien and Woodbury counties. The waiver is in effect through July 12, 2024.

Incident: Severe Storms and Tornadoes

When: April 26, 2024, and May 21, 2024

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP)

  • On June 21, 2024, FNS approved the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) request to operate Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) in eleven counties due to impact of severe storms and tornadoes that began on April 26, 2024 and May 21, 2024. President Joseph R. Biden issued a major disaster declaration designating Clarke, Harrison, Mills, Polk, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Shelby and Union counties as eligible for federal individual assistance on May 14, 2024. On May 24, 2024, President Joseph R. Biden issued a major disaster declaration designating Adair, Montgomery, Polk and Story counties as eligible for individual assistance. The state will operate D-SNAP in defined ZIP codes in the following 11 counties: Adair County (50849), Clarke County (50213), Harrison County (51557 and 51564), Mills County (51561), Montgomery County (50864), Polk County (50007, 50046, 50327), Pottawattamie (51503, 51526, 51542, 51548, 51553), Ringgold County (50863 and 50854), Shelby County (51527, 51537, 51570, 51578), Story County (50046, 50201) and Union County (50801). The state plans to operate D-SNAP from June 25, 2024, through June 29, 2024.
  • On May 31, 2024, FNS approved the Iowa DHHS request to waive the 10-day reporting requirement for food purchased with SNAP benefits that was lost as a result of power outages due to severe storms and tornadoes that began on May 21, 2024. The waiver applies to Adair, Adams, Black Hawk, Buena Vista, Butler, Calhoun, Cass, Cedar, Cerro Gordo, Clay, Clinton, Dallas, Dubuque, Fayette, Franklin, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Humboldt, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Keokuk, Kossuth, Marion, Marshall, Mills, Montgomery, Muscatine, O’Brien, Page, Palo Alto, Polk, Pottawattamie, Poweshiek, Scott, Shelby, Story, Tama, Union, Warren, Washington, Webster and Wright counties. The waiver is in effect through June 20, 2024.

Incident: Severe Weather

When: June 3, 2024

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP)

  • On June 12, 2024, FNS approved the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) request to waive the 10-day reporting requirement for food purchased with SNAP benefits that was lost as a result of power outages due to severe weather that occurred on June 3, 2024. The waiver applies to Emmet County and is in effect through July 3, 2024.
2020

Incident: Severe Storms and Straight Line Winds (Derecho)

When: Aug. 10, 2020

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP)

  • On Jan. 5, 2021, FNS approved Iowa’s request to expand D-SNAP operations to Clinton County in response to the impact of severe storms that occurred on Aug. 10, 2020. The application period for Clinton County will begin no earlier than Monday, Jan. 25, 2021, and continue through Friday, Jan. 29, 2021.
  • On Sept. 10, 2020, FNS approved Iowa’s amended request to waive timely reporting of food loss allowing households in 27 counties to request replacement of SNAP benefits through Sept. 28, 2020 as a result of wind, rainstorms and power outages that occurred on Aug. 10, 2020.
  • On Sept. 10, 2020, FNS approved Iowa’s request to expand D-SNAP operations in 10 additional counties in response to the impact of severe storms that occurred on Aug. 10, 2020. The State will operate the program in two phases, from Sept. 15 through Sept. 19, 2020; and from Sept. 22 through Sept. 26, 2020. With this expansion, the state agency has been approved to operate D-SNAP in 11 counties.
  • On Aug. 27, 2020, FNS approved Iowa’s request to operate D-SNAP operations in Linn County in response to the impact of severe storms that occurred on Aug. 10, 2020. The application period will begin no earlier than Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, and will operate no more than 7 consecutive days until Sept. 6, 2020.
  • On Aug. 21, 2020, FNS approved Iowa's hot food waiver request. This waiver allows SNAP households to purchase hot foods with SNAP benefits in Linn County through Sept. 21, 2020.
  • On Aug.18, 2020, FNS approved Iowa's request to waive timely reporting of food loss allowing households in the below counties to request replacement SNAP benefits through Sept. 17, 2020, to replace food lost as a result of wind, rainstorms and power outages. Impacted counties:
    Audubon, Benton, Boone, Cass, Cedar, Clarke, Clinton, Dallas, Greene, Grundy, Guthrie, Hardin, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Madison, Marshall, Muscatine, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Story, Tama and Washington.
2019

Incident: Severe Storms and Flooding

When: March 12, 2019

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP)

  • On April 3, 2019, FNS approved Iowa's request to operate a Disaster-SNAP (D-SNAP) in 5 counties: Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, and Woodbury on Monday, April 8, through Friday, April 12, 2019. Operations will be closed during the weekend and will resume Monday, April 15, through Tuesday, April 16, 2019. The state agency will issue supplemental benefits to ongoing households that request them via affidavit. On April 17, FNS approved Iowa's request to operate D-SNAP in two additional counties–Pottawattamie and Shelby. The state agency will operate D-SNAP from Monday, April 22, through Friday, April 26, 2019. The state agency will also issue supplemental benefits to ongoing households that request them via affidavit.
  • On April 2, 2019, FNS approved a waiver of timely reporting requirements for replacement of SNAP benefits by individual affidavit/attestation due to storms and major flooding that began on March 12, 2019. The waiver applies to the following counties: Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, and Woodbury. Replacements will be authorized if reported between March 12 and April 30, 2019.

State agencies are responsible for requesting and operating the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). For more information, visit the state’s website or call the state’s SNAP hotline at 1-877-347-5678. For questions related to your Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, call 1-800-359-5802.

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

Page updated: November 18, 2024