Indiana – For tens of thousands of Indiana households hit by August’s severe weather, disaster recovery is about to show up in a very practical place: their EBT cards. The state estimates roughly 36,533 households could receive replacement food benefits, bringing as much as $10 million in federal assistance directly to families without requiring them to file another application.
Gov. Mike Braun announced the expanded assistance after the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved Indiana’s request for an Automated Mass Replacement waiver on Sept. 17. The waiver allows the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration to automatically replace part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for eligible residents in designated areas affected by the Aug. 11 storms and flooding.
“Hoosiers impacted by these disasters deserve support without added hurdles. This streamlined assistance will help families replace lost SNAP benefits and give displaced Hoosiers more time and resources to recover,” Braun said.
The amount each eligible household receives will depend on when its original monthly SNAP allotment was issued. Households that received benefits from Aug. 5 through Aug. 9 are approved for a 60% replacement. Those whose benefits arrived from July 19 through July 23 qualify for 30%, while households receiving benefits from July 11 through July 17 qualify for a 15% replacement.
The additional money is expected to be placed directly on eligible EBT cards on or around Sept. 26. Recipients covered by the waiver do not need to contact FSSA, submit paperwork or visit a Division of Family Resources office. Households that already received replacement benefits up to their allowable amount will not receive another replacement under the waiver.
Eligibility is tied to where a household’s primary residence was located as of Aug. 11. The program covers designated ZIP codes in 19 counties, while every ZIP code in Lake and Porter counties is included.
The eligible areas are Carroll, ZIP codes 46932 and 47926; Dearborn, 47032 and 47060; Decatur, 46156 and 47240; Delaware, 47320 and 47334; Fayette, 47024 and 47352; Franklin, 47003, 47024 and 47240; Hancock, 46117; and Henry, 46117, 47334, 47352 and 47360.
LaPorte County includes ZIP codes 46340, 46345, 46346, 46348, 46350, 46360, 46365, 46371, 46382, 46390, 46391, 46532, 46552 and 46574. Other eligible areas include Madison, 46016; Marion, 46107; Pulaski, 46366; Randolph, 47320 and 47360; Rush, 46156, 46182, 47240 and 47352; Tipton, 46979; Union, 47003; and Wayne, 47339, 47345 and 47360.
The SNAP replacement is part of a broader recovery effort following the August storms, which brought damaging winds, tornadoes, hail, flooding and widespread power outages across Indiana. Braun issued a statewide disaster declaration on Aug. 13, and state agencies have continued coordinating housing, food and other forms of assistance.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security is also funding another 30 days of emergency hotel vouchers through the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority for displaced residents. State officials said roughly 260 households remained in hotels ahead of the original voucher deadline, down from about 360 households at the program’s peak.
Additional disaster information and assistance resources remain available through Indiana’s storm recovery resources and the state’s August 2026 Disaster Resource Hub.
