SANTA FE – The New Mexico Health Care Authority (NMHCA) is giving SNAP households in McKinley County the opportunity to request replacement benefits for food that was lost in recent flooding.
Heavy rain on July 21 caused floods in Gallup, Zuni Pueblo, and surrounding McKinley County. Multiple areas were ordered to evacuate, and many people left behind food and belongings. Now, the NMHCA is giving SNAP households the opportunity to request replacement benefits for food that was lost in the flooding.
About 1,223 people living in McKinley County are eligible to request replacement benefits. Households that can request replacements are:
- Households in zip codes 87301, 87305, or 87327, or who were evacuated due to flooding
- Households that lost food purchased with SNAP benefits between July 21 and August 10
These replacement benefits can cover the value of food lost, up to the household’s regular monthly SNAP benefit amount.
“No family should have to choose between recovering from a flood and putting food on the table,” said Niki Kozlowski, director of the New Mexico Health Care Authority’s Income Support Division. “If you lost food because of the McKinley County floods, contact us. We want to help you replace your groceries, so you have one less thing to worry about.”
Requests for replacement benefits must be completed and signed by calling the Healthcare Authority at 1-800-283-4465 as soon as possible. All requests must be submitted by Aug. 10, 2026.
Olivia Woodard is a journalist for Brant One News. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Instagram at @brantonenews.
