BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) announced that the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service has approved Disaster Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits for eligible households impacted by Tropical
Storm Arthur.

The USDA also approved automatic supplemental SNAP benefits for qualifying households that
already receive regular SNAP assistance.

D-SNAP provides temporary food assistance to households that do not normally receive SNAP
benefits but suffered disaster-related losses and meet income eligibility requirements. For
Tropical Storm Arthur, eligible areas include portions of Avoyelles, St. Landry, St. Tammany and
Terrebonne parishes.

"Recovering from a disaster doesn't end when the storm passes," LDH Secretary Bruce D.
Greenstein said. "As families continue rebuilding their lives, these temporary food assistance
programs help meet an essential need. Through D-SNAP and automatic supplemental benefits
for eligible SNAP recipients, we're making it easier for eligible households to access the support
available to them."

According to LDH, eligibility is based on FEMA-designated census tracts, meaning not all

D-Snap Allowed for Certain Residents Affected by Tropical
Storm Arthur Flooding

residents within an eligible parish will qualify. Officials encourage residents to verify whether
their address falls within an approved disaster area by using the online D-SNAP eligibility map
and address lookup tool before applying.

In Avoyelles Parish, eligible areas include ZIP code 71362 and portions of the parish generally
located along Louisiana Highway 1 from Simmesport to Mansura, areas south of Marksville to
the St. Landry Parish line, and areas west of Marksville to the Rapides Parish line.

Applications will be accepted by phone from July 27 through July 31 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
by calling 1-888-524-3578. Applicants are encouraged to apply on the designated day based on
the first letter of the primary applicant's last name:

Monday, July 27: Last names A-G

Tuesday, July 28: Last names H-M

Wednesday, July 29: Last names N-Z

Thursday, July 30: All applicants

Friday, July 31: All applicants

Translation services will be available throughout the application process. Most applicants will
learn whether they qualify during their interview, and approved households will receive an
Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card by mail.

Current SNAP recipients should not apply for D-SNAP. Households already receiving SNAP
benefits that live within eligible census tracts and are not receiving the maximum monthly

allotment will automatically receive a supplemental benefit to bring them up to the maximum
benefit for one month. No application is required.

LDH reminds residents that D-SNAP benefits are available only to eligible households that do
not currently receive SNAP benefits. Benefits must be used within 90 days of issuance, and any
remaining balance after that time will be removed from the EBT card.

Residents are encouraged to review eligibility requirements and gather any necessary
documentation before applying.