USDA waives SNAP hot-food ban statewide through May 16 after storms

About 13,300 Hawaiʻi County households on SNAP could use their benefits for hot meals at authorized retailers statewide through May 16, a short-term change aimed at families on Hawaiʻi Island who are still coping with March Kona Low flooding, power outages and damaged homes. The temporary waiver took effect April 17, and DHS said stores may need 24 to 48 hours to update point-of-sale systems before the new purchase rules show up at the register.

Under normal SNAP rules, hot or prepared foods cannot be bought with benefits. The waiver gives households a way to buy ready-to-eat meals from approved SNAP retailers when a working kitchen is out of reach, a practical issue for storm-displaced families, people still waiting on repairs and residents in neighborhoods where power interruptions lingered after the Kona Low. Governor Josh Green said the change offers immediate, practical relief for families still recovering and helps residents who may not have access to cooking facilities put food on the table.

The approval came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service on April 17 and is authorized under Section 412 of the Stafford Act and Section 5(h)(1) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. DHS said it may ask for an extension if conditions warrant more relief, keeping the waiver open if homes, utilities and kitchens are still not fully restored by May 16.

The hot-food waiver adds to other storm-related SNAP help already in place. On March 18, DHS announced replacement benefits for current recipients who lost food because of severe weather, flooding or power outages tied to the Kona Low; households had to submit a written statement within 10 days, and the replacement amount could not exceed the household’s monthly SNAP allotment.

County officials have said the March 2026 Kona Low brought significant rainfall, flooding, strong damaging winds and blizzard conditions on the summits, leaving Hawaiʻi Island’s ground saturated afterward. Mayor Kimo Alameda’s March 20 emergency proclamation cited a flood watch and heavy rain expected on the island, and the county has continued collecting damage reports to help focus resources if state or federal disaster aid becomes available. For households still cleaning up, the food waiver is one more bridge between the storm and a return to normal.