Jonesboro, AR — (JonesboroRightNow.com) — July 15, 2025 — Those recovering from severe storms in the spring may be eligible for food assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP), the department announced Tuesday.

Over 11,100 households in 14 counties are estimated to be eligible for this relief to help with grocery expenses, according to a USDA news release. Those who may not normally be eligible for SNAP benefits may be so if they meet certain criteria, such as disaster income limits and qualifying disaster-related expenses.

“USDA is dedicated to helping Arkansas residents as they grapple with the aftermath of the severe storms and its impact,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins in the news release. “We are working closely with the state and our local partners to provide vital nutrition assistance to impacted individuals.”

Arkansas began operating its in-person and telephonic D-SNAP operations on July 14 and will continue to do so until July 20.

Eligible counties are listed below:

  • Craighead
  • Clark
  • Crittenden
  • Greene
  • Hot Spring
  • Independence
  • Jackson
  • Lawrence
  • Pulaski
  • Randolph
  • Saline
  • Sharp
  • Stone
  • White

How to Apply for D-SNAP:

To be eligible for D-SNAP, a household must either live or work in an identified disaster area, have been affected by the disaster, and meet certain D-SNAP eligibility criteria.

Eligible households will receive one month of benefits – equal to the maximum monthly amount for a SNAP household of their size – that they can use to purchase groceries at SNAP-authorized stores or from select retailers online to meet their temporary food needs as they settle back home following the disaster.

For more information about Arkansas SNAP, click here. For more information about this and other available aid, callers from Arkansas can dial 2-1-1.

The timing of D-SNAP varies with the unique circumstances of each disaster but always begins after commercial channels of food distribution have been restored and families are able to purchase and prepare food at home. Before operating a D-SNAP, a state must ensure that the proper public information, staffing, and resources are in place.

Although current SNAP households in the identified areas are not eligible for D-SNAP, they may request supplemental SNAP benefits to raise their allotment to the maximum amount for their household size for one month if they don’t already receive that amount.