Power outages rippled across Cleveland and throughout the suburbs this weekend as the grid contended with a record-setting summer heat wave.
The outages lasted for hours and (in some cases) more than a day.
That means the food residents stored in their fridges and freezers could be at risk. During a power outage, food is no longer safe to eat after four hours in a closed refrigerator, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Frozen food will be safe in the freezer for 48 hours if the freezer is full and 24 hours if it is half full.
Residents who receive SNAP benefits — government food assistance — can get their benefits replaced to account for those losses. Here’s how.
Who is eligible for replacement SNAP benefits?
Customers who were without power for more than 4 hours are eligible for replacement food stamps.
You may be asked to prove that you lost power, said Kevin Gowan, Cuyahoga County’s director of Job and Family Services, especially if the outages were sporadic instead of across vast swaths of the city.
The best way to prove this is by screenshots of notices the electric provider shared about their power outages, which may be available via text message or on the company’s website.
Fill out a SNAP benefits replacement form
This form allows residents to request replacement of SNAP benefits because food was destroyed in a disaster like power outages.
Cuyahoga County residents can mail the form to the Virgil E. Brown Building at 1641 Payne Ave. or visit the building in person to fill out the form alongside staff.
Residents without access to a printer can pick up the forms from the Jane Edna Hunter Building (3955 Euclid Ave.) or Quincy Place (8111 Quincy Ave). Residents can then fill out the form themselves and drop it in an on-site drop box. At these two locations, Gowan recommended against seeking staff assistance to fill out the SNAP replacement paperwork due to wait times and staffing limits.
Residents can also fill out the form on the online Ohio benefits self-service portal.
File as quickly and accurately as you can
Customers must report the loss and submit the form within 10 days of the power outage.
Make sure you include your address and how long the power outage occurred.
After applying, the county has 30 days to provide residents with the benefits they requested, Gowan said. It usually takes at least that long.
“There were actually power outages in June, which we’re still responding to,” Gowan said. “And these will come next.”
How much can I get?
On the form, residents request a dollar amount to replace the food they lost.
Residents should share a best estimate of the amount of food they lost, Gowan said. They can’t request more than the total amount of SNAP dollars received in one month.
The county doesn’t ask for receipts or verification to prove how much food the individual lost, Gowan added. If the application is successful, the money will be loaded onto their Ohio Direction Card.
