CRISFIELD, MD — U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today toured areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy and visited the Disaster Recovery Center to see first-hand how recovery efforts are proceeding. In December, U.S. Senators Cardin and Barbara A. Mikulski and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley appealed to the Obama Administration to reverse its original denial of Individual Assistance.
On December 15, President Obama reversed the original denial and designated Somerset County as a Major Disaster Area, eligible for Individual Assistance. The Individual Assistance designation enabled the state to apply for the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). The MD Department of Human Resources estimates that 1,400 households in Somerset County are eligible for D-SNAP
Somerset County and the City of Crisfield were particularly hard hit by Hurricane Sandy.
Crisfield, the most economically disadvantaged city in Somerset County, suffered the most devastation from the hurricane. A total of 585 homes were affected by the storm, including 71 homes that suffered major damage. More than 100 Crisfield residents were displaced when the city was covered by 5 feet of water. Additionally, more than 50 businesses were seriously impacted by what has been dubbed as “Super Storm Sandy.”
“Somerset County residents have been deeply affected by Hurricane Sandy, and the D-SNAP program is an important benefit of the Individual Assistance designation that is providing residents with temporary food assistance while they get back on their feet,” said Senator Ben Cardin. “I am here today because I want the people of Crisfield and Somerset County to know that I stand with them as they recover from the devastation of Sandy, and I am committed to doing all I can to ensure that assistance and recovery efforts go as smoothly as possible.”
“I want to thank Senators Cardin and Mikulski, who along with Governor O’Malley, made Individual Assistance a reality for our community. Without this designation, our community would not have survived the devastation of Hurricane Sandy,” said Crisfield Mayor P.J. Purnell.
The Maryland Department of Human Resources estimates that 1,400 families are eligible for D-SNAP, 30-day, temporary assistance for storm victims not already receiving SNAP. Eligibility will be determined based on household income, resources, disaster-related expenses. The covered period will be from October 28 to November 26 and applications for assistance began on Jan. 7 and will run through Jan. 13th.
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