Food aid reaches 3,755 families after St. Thomas-St. John power crisis

More than 3,700 households across St. Thomas and St. John have received emergency food assistance following federal approval of a disaster relief program tied to power failures that struck the islands last month.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture authorized $539,891 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds on November 5. Two days later, the V.I. Department of Human Services deposited the money directly into the Electronic Benefit Transfer cards of qualifying residents, with no paperwork required.

Power disruptions began October 21 after multiple breakdowns at the Randolph Harley Power Plant left thousands without electricity for extended periods. Governor Albert Bryan Jr. instructed the Department of Human Services to seek federal relief after residents discarded spoiled refrigerated and frozen food.

The replacement amounts equal 30 percent of what each household normally received in monthly SNAP benefits during the month before the outages, with figures rounded up. Seven ZIP codes qualified for the automatic distribution: 00801, 00802, 00803, 00804, 00805, 00830 and 00831, covering specific areas on both islands.

This federal waiver bypassed the standard SNAP replacement process entirely. Normally, households must report losses within 10 days and file individual requests with documentation. The mass approval meant eligible residents in the designated zones received funds without visiting an office, signing an affidavit or proving what they lost.

Human Services Commissioner Averil George submitted the waiver request in late October, providing proof that power cuts exceeded four hours and affected thousands of people.

Any resident who believes they should have received the extra benefits but cannot find them on their card can reach the Department of Human Services. St. Thomas residents have two numbers: 340-774-0930 or 340-774-2399. St. John residents can call 340-776-6334. All households can check their balance by dialling 1-866-884-2868 or using the ebtEDGE service online.

SNAP recipients in other parts of the territory may still apply for replacement assistance by filing an affidavit about their food losses, subject to standard eligibility rules.

This follows a similar federal response after Tropical Storm Ernesto struck in August 2024, when the USDA approved automatic replacement benefits covering 75 percent of eligible households' monthly SNAP amounts across the Virgin Islands.