SNAP Replacement Due to Power Outage 2024: What Happened and How Replacement Works Now

The federal rule for replacing spoiled food

SNAP replacement is set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 7 CFR 274.6, and every state follows it. The rule covers food bought with SNAP that is destroyed in a "household misfortune or disaster." A fire, flood, or a power outage long enough to spoil refrigerated and frozen food all fit.

Here is what the rule requires, in plain terms:

• Report the loss within 10 days. You can report by phone, online, in person, or in writing to your state SNAP agency.
• Sign a statement. A household member signs a form saying what was lost and why. It must reach the agency within 10 days of your report. If you cannot get to an office because of age, disability, or distance, you can mail it.
• The state verifies the misfortune. It may check with the utility, the Red Cross, a fire department, news reports, or by home visit. For a widespread outage, the state usually already knows.
• You get the value of the food lost, up to one month's allotment.
• The state must act quickly: within 10 days of your report, or within 2 working days after it gets your signed statement, whichever is later.

There is no federal limit on how many times you can get food replaced after real misfortunes. That is different from replacement EBT cards, where a state may ask questions after four or more card requests in 12 months. If the state denies your request, you have the right to a fair hearing.

SNAP replacement due to power outage 2024 events in Texas

The biggest 2024 example was Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall on the Texas coast on July 8, 2024. USDA said the storm left about 2.8 million customers without power, many for days in the July heat. Here is how the response unfolded, according to the USDA Texas disaster page and the Texas Governor's office:

Households that got an automatic partial replacement could ask for more, up to their full monthly allotment, by calling 2-1-1 and choosing the option HHSC announced for Beryl, or by sending Form H1855. Households in the other covered counties had to request replacement themselves by Aug. 8, 2024.

Those windows are closed. Food lost during Beryl or any other 2024 outage can no longer be replaced. What carries forward is the process, which Texas and USDA have used again for later storms.

How replacement works today

Nothing about the core rule has changed since 2024. The same 10-day report, signed statement, and one-month cap apply. What changes from storm to storm is whether USDA approves extra flexibility for a specific area.

Texas has used these waivers often. The USDA Texas page lists, for example, a statewide extension of the reporting window after the January 2026 winter storms, which ran through Feb. 23, 2026. After Tropical Storm Edouard in September 2026, USDA approved a waiver for 16 counties, including Galveston, Jefferson, and Montgomery, that ran through Sept. 21, 2026. Both of those windows have also closed.

So the practical rule is simple: if your power goes out long enough to spoil food, report it right away. Do not wait to see whether a waiver comes. If one is approved, you have more time. If not, the normal 10 days applies.

To see how much a full month of SNAP would be for your household size, use our SNAP calculator. For one person, the federal maximum from October 2026 through September 2027 is $306 a month, so that is the most a one-person household could get back for a single loss.

Waivers, mass replacements, and hot foods

After a large outage, a state can ask USDA for three kinds of help. Each one works differently for you.

Extended reporting window

This waiver gives households in listed counties more than 10 days to report lost food. You still have to ask. It is the most common kind of help after power outages.

Mass replacement

Here the state loads replacement benefits automatically for households in the hardest-hit areas, usually a set percentage of that month's allotment. You do not have to apply, though you can usually ask for more if your loss was bigger, up to a full month.

Hot foods waiver

Normally SNAP cannot buy hot, ready-to-eat food. A hot foods waiver lifts that rule for a set time so families without power can buy prepared meals. USDA notes stores may need 24 to 36 hours to update their registers.

USDA posts every approved waiver on its disaster page for each state, with the counties and end dates. That is the most reliable place to check after a storm.

Replacement, D-SNAP, and Summer EBT compared

People often mix up these programs after a disaster. They have different rules and you cannot always combine them.

According to the USDA disaster assistance page, D-SNAP can only run after the President declares a major disaster with individual assistance, and the state asks USDA for approval. People who would not normally qualify for SNAP may get D-SNAP if they had disaster costs such as lost income, home damage, relocation, and in some cases food lost to power outages.

The federal rule says a household cannot receive both a D-SNAP allotment and a regular replacement for the same misfortune when it is eligible for D-SNAP. USDA says people already on regular SNAP may be eligible for additional benefits under D-SNAP instead.

Summer EBT is a separate summer grocery benefit for children, worth $120 per eligible child according to USDA's Summer EBT page. Its rules for replacing food lost in an outage are set by the state running it, so ask that agency directly. WIC also has its own process; call your WIC clinic about lost formula or WIC foods.

Requesting replacement in Texas

In Texas, SNAP is run by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), and benefits go on the Lone Star Card. To ask for replacement of food lost in an outage:

• Report the loss by calling 2-1-1 (choose option 2 for HHSC benefits) or visiting a local benefits office, within 10 days or any longer waiver window.
• Complete Form H1855, the Affidavit for Nonreceipt or Destroyed SNAP Benefits. During Beryl, HHSC accepted it by mail, fax, or in person.
• Check your case and messages at YourTexasBenefits.com.

Our Texas assistance programs guide explains other HHSC benefits, and our disasters and emergencies guide covers FEMA and charity help.

Other states

The same federal rule applies in every state, but each state has its own form, phone line, and online portal. Search your state agency's website for "replacement" or "food loss," or call the number on the back of your EBT card. USDA's disaster pages for each state list any reporting waivers or mass replacements, with the counties and end dates, so you can see whether you have more than 10 days.

When you call, have your case number ready, the date the power went out, roughly how long it was off, and a list of what spoiled. Ask the worker to note the date of your report, since that starts the state's clock for issuing replacement.

Food safety during an outage

Federal food safety guidance says a closed refrigerator keeps food safe for about 4 hours without power. A full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours, or about 24 hours if half full, as long as the door stays closed. After that, perishable food such as meat, milk, eggs, and leftovers that sat above 40 degrees for more than 2 hours should be thrown out.

• Keep fridge and freezer doors shut as much as you can.
• Take photos of spoiled food before you throw it away. They are not always required, but they help.
• Keep grocery receipts if you have them, and write down what you tossed.
• When in doubt, throw it out. Replacing food is cheaper than a hospital visit.

After the next outage, step by step

1. Note the date and length of the outage, and keep any utility outage notices.
2. Write down the food you lost and its rough value. Take photos if you can.
3. Report the loss to your SNAP agency within 10 days. In Texas, call 2-1-1 or visit a benefits office.
4. Sign the affidavit (Form H1855 in Texas) and return it within 10 days of your report.
5. Check USDA's disaster page for your state to see if a waiver or mass replacement applies.
6. Watch your EBT balance. Replacement should arrive within 10 days of your report or 2 working days after your signed form.
7. Ask for a fair hearing if your request is denied and you disagree.

Related guides

• Texas EBT
• Emergency food stamps
• SNAP benefit schedule
• Texas disaster relief program

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information. Your state SNAP agency decides every replacement request. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with USDA, Texas HHSC, or any government agency.