Well Prepared
Louisiana is no stranger to natural disasters. In September 2008, Hurricane Gustav tore through the state,wreaking havoc. The fear of mass flooding and an already fragile infrastructure weren’t the only challenges Gustav threw at Louisiana when it swept through the state. The storm also forced the state’s Department of Social Services(DSS) to take a hard look at the way it distributed benefits through its federally funded Disaster Food Stamps program, which provides money for groceries to eligible households that have lost income or suffered damage in a disaster.
After Gustav, more than 2 million people applied for Disaster Food Stamps, converging at the 60 locations the state set up to take their applications. These applications came on top of Louisiana’s nearly 1 million people in the regular food stamp program.