Governor Greg Abbott expands SNAP replacement benefits for Texans affected by July flooding and severe weather
Austin, Texas – Texas residents affected by July’s severe weather and flooding will have additional time to replace food lost during the disasters after Governor Greg Abbott announced an expansion of the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) assistance.
The governor said the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has received approval from the federal government to extend the deadline for requesting replacement food benefits. The approval also expands eligibility by adding two more counties to the list of areas covered by the disaster assistance.
Governor Abbott said the expanded support is intended to help families continue recovering from the widespread flooding that affected parts of Central and South Texas.
“Texas will provide all available resources to help families recover from recent severe weather and severe flooding across our state,” Abbott said. “Through this expansion of SNAP replacement benefits, we will ensure that affected Texans across Central and South Texas have access to the essential food support they need to recover and rebuild.”
More counties added to disaster assistance program
Following a request from HHSC, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service approved the addition of Sutton County and Zavala County to the disaster assistance program.
Those counties now join Bandera, Blanco, Frio, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Medina, Uvalde, and Val Verde counties, which had already been approved to receive SNAP replacement benefits after the storms.
The expanded program allows eligible SNAP recipients who lost food because of flooding or severe weather to request replacement benefits.
State officials also announced that the deadline to submit those requests has been extended until Aug. 12, 2026.
According to HHSC, approved replacement benefits are expected to be added to recipients’ Lone Star Cards within two business days after the agency receives a request.
HHSC Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth welcomed the federal approval and thanked the agencies involved in making additional assistance available.
“We are grateful to our federal partners for their collaboration in making these replacement benefits available to more Texans impacted by the flooding in July,” Muth said.
Recipients seeking replacement benefits are encouraged to visit a local HHSC office to submit their request. Officials noted that residents who cannot travel to an office because of age, disability, or distance have other options available.
Those individuals may complete Form H1855 and either mail it to Texas Health and Human Services in Austin or send it by fax.
The state is also reminding Texans that additional disaster resources remain available. Residents affected by any disaster can visit the HHSC Receiving Disaster Assistance webpage for updated information about available programs.
People needing immediate local assistance, including access to food, shelter, or other emergency services, are encouraged to call 2-1-1 and select option 1 to connect with community resources.
The expanded SNAP replacement benefits are part of the state’s ongoing response to the devastating July flooding, providing additional food assistance to qualifying households while giving affected families extra time to replace groceries lost because of the disaster.
