Wayne County residents who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and were impacted by storms earlier this month may be eligible for replacement food benefits, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Friday.
DTE Energy said around 450,000 of its customers in Southeast Michigan lost power as a result of severe weather that ripped through the region on Sept. 2 and Sept. 3. Over 5,000 residents were without service several days after the storms.
The state agency says recipients of the federal assistance program in Wayne County who had food spoil due to a “verified power outage” during the storms or lost due to storm damage can request replacement benefits by calling 844-464-3447 or visiting its website and filling out required forms.
The deadline to request replacement benefits is Sept. 23.
“Typically, SNAP recipients who experienced a qualifying food loss must report it to MDHHS within 10 days,” the agency said in a news release. “However, due to the severity of this weather event, MDHHS applied for and was approved for a federal extension waiver giving families until Wednesday, Sept. 23.”
State officials say the amount that a household can request in replacement benefits is based on the total value of the food lost, up to one month of its regular SNAP benefits.
An EF-2 tornado struck Detroit’s east side on Sept. 3, according to the National Weather Service. It reached a wind speed of 115 mph, lasted around four minutes and was the first to touch down in the city since July 1997.
National Weather Service personnel were in Wayne County on Sept. 4 to survey damage left by the twister. They were expected to look at parts of Hamtramck and Detroit, including Belle Isle.
More from CBS News
