AARP Texas Leader Applauds Officials For Expediting Emergency Food Assistance in Wake of Hurricane Beryl

AUSTIN, Texas -- AARP Texas Director Tina Tran issued the following statement today in response to an announcement by Acting Governor Dan Patrick that federal food assistance will become available to many of those in Texas who lost food as a result of Hurricane Beryl:

“Hurricane Beryl hit Houston and many other southeastern Texas communities hard, leaving millions of residents without power and with spoiled food. Acting Governor Dan Patrick and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), and its staff, are to be applauded for working in concert with President Biden’s administration to successfully open the way for much-needed new food assistance for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as well as for those getting food and formula benefits through the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.

“The hurricane and its aftermath have put many older Texans and their families in crisis, in part because of power disruptions that have led to food spoilage. Many of these families are on limited and tight budgets, which compounds the hardship they’re facing. Some also have special dietary needs. When older adults and others are not able to get healthy food, they are at greater risk of serious illness. As state officials stated in Governor Patrick’s announcement, replacement food benefits will relieve some of the challenges many Texans are currently facing.

“What’s more, as we have been reminded in recent days, natural disasters, such as hurricanes that bring widespread power outages during high temperatures, can be extremely difficult for all but they typically have a disproportionately more harmful impact on older and vulnerable populations. Older adults are simply more likely to get sick from heat, and even die from it. The body’s ability to deal with heat differs as we age. People who are older are not as able to dissipate heat as well as people who are younger. They also tend to have more chronic health problems and may take more medications that affect their body’s ability to deal with heat. Medical experts say that sweat glands become less effective with age. Further, certain medications common among older adults can interfere with how efficiently the body sweats or handles heat.”

According to the governor’s announcement, to replace food lost or destroyed by the storms that began July 8, SNAP recipients must apply for replacement benefits that will be placed on their Lone Star Cards within two business days once benefits are approved. SNAP recipients in 121 counties listed in Acting Gov. Patrick’s disaster declarations must apply for replacement benefits by Aug. 8. Affected counties are listed below. Beginning July 11, recipients can apply by dialing 2-1-1 and selecting Option 8.

Recipients can also download Form H1855 (Affidavit for Nonreceipt or Destroyed SNAP Benefits). Completed forms should be mailed to Texas Health and Human Services Commission, P.O. Box 149027, Austin, TX, 78714-9027, or faxed to 877-447-2839.

Recipients who live in counties other than those listed below can apply for replacement benefits in person within 10 days of discovering their food was lost or destroyed due to the recent storms. Individuals in those counties must go to a local benefits office to request replacement food benefits.

The announcement also stated that additionally, the WIC program, administered by HHSC, is replacing food and formula benefits lost during Hurricane Beryl through July 31. Families can visit TexasWIC.org or call 800-942-3678 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and select Option 3 to speak with an operator who will help find an open WIC location. WIC participants will need to visit the WIC office in order to replace food benefits. WIC also offers 24/7 breastfeeding assistance through its lactation support hotline: 855-550-6667.

For information related to this news release, contact Mark Hollis at 512.574.3739 or mhollis@aarp.org

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