SCOTT COUNTY, IOWA, Iowa — The US Department of Agriculture has expanded its Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to help people in the counties affected by the August 2020 derecho.
The derecho was a powerful storm that brought winds in excess of 90 mph to the Quad Cities and surrounding area on Monday, August 10, leaving significant damage in its path.
One month later, the USDA announced it would expand its D-SNAP benefits to people in 10 Iowa counties, including Scott County. Polk, Boone, Jasper, Poweshiek, Story, Marshall, Benton, Cedar, and Tama Counties are also included.
This food assistance is for low-income residents, but even households that would not normally be eligible may meet the disaster income limits in this situation, according to the USDA.
“Now that 10 additional counties have been declared disaster areas, we have another resource we can provide hard-hit residents trying to recover from the devastation,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “This Administration will continue working closely with Iowans to make sure they get the food they need.”
The program will be available to residents in Polk, Boone, Jasper, Poweshiek, and Story Counties starting September 15. It will be available to residents in Marshall, Scott, Benton, Cedar, and Tama Counties starting September 22.
To be eligible for D-SNAP, you must live in an affected county, have been impacted by the derecho, and meet certain eligibility criteria. Eligible households will get one month of benefits.
