FNS Approves Replacement SNAP Benefits for Quitman County After Winter Storm Fern

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service approved mass replacement Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for 15 Mississippi counties hardest hit by Winter Storm Fern and granted a separate waiver extending the window to request replacement benefits for 28 additional counties, including Quitman County. The action is aimed at households that lost food during the late-January storm and could ease immediate food costs for current SNAP recipients.

Mississippi Department of Human Services said the 15 counties will receive automatic issuance of replacement benefits and residents in those counties do not need to submit the state attestation form. MDHS said, “Households in the 15 counties listed below do not need to submit a MDHS-EA-508 Form to receive replacement benefits. Eligible clients in these counties will be issued benefits automatically.” The department named Lafayette County, Panola County and Tippah County among the list highlighted in state briefings.

At the same time, MDHS said a waiver grants residents in 28 additional counties until February 23, 2026, to file a formal replacement request using form MDHS-EA-508. Quitman County is explicitly included in that extended group. The MDHS-EA-508 form may be downloaded and submitted via the secure document upload feature on the MDHS website, and the agency has urged residents to monitor its official channels for updates.

MDHS guidance to applicants repeats the program’s eligibility and legal requirements in full. “Before applying for SNAP Replacement benefits, please review these four items: 1. SNAP Replacement is ONLY available to current SNAP clients. 2. The amount of replacement benefits received will NOT exceed the amount you currently receive. 3. Food loss must be the result of a weather-related power outage lasting more than 4 hours or an event such as tornadoes, floods or snow. 4. Submission of the replacement benefit attestation is a legal request for benefits that should be truthful and accurate.”

Officials and published reports say Winter Storm Fern swept through Mississippi the weekend of January 24–25, leaving icy roads, fallen trees and downed power lines. One account noted outages peaked at as many as 180,000 power customers during the storm; those outages are the primary justification for replacement benefits because extended outages can lead to food spoilage.

The state release contains an apparent inconsistency: it stresses automatic issuance for the 15 counties while another line in the same announcement states, “Current SNAP households in the approved counties, who suffered food loss as a result of Winter Storm Fern have until February 23, 2026, to request replacement benefits.” That language appears to conflict with the automatic-issuance statement and will require MDHS clarification for households unsure whether they must file an attestation.

What this means locally: current SNAP households in the 15 automatically approved counties should check EBT accounts for replacement credits, while households in the 28 counties listed for the waiver, including Quitman County, should submit MDHS-EA-508 by Feb. 23 if they lost food. MDHS advises using its secure upload feature and official social channels for the latest instructions; residents with questions should contact their local MDHS office for clarification.