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USDA Update on Hurricane Helene Recovery and Rebuilding Efforts

Earlier this month, the USDA Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) brought together key figures from various agencies, including the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA), to discuss available resources and strategies for assisting affected by Hurricane Helene.

NRCS emphasized the role of Conservation Technical Assistance programs, such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program, in supporting recovery efforts. These programs can help with repairing, relocating, reseeding, and other emergency actions, provided there is an eligible sponsor, like a conservation district, to act as a fiscal agent. States have the flexibility to expedite technical and financial assistance through the Act Now initiative.

The Risk Management Agency (RMA) highlighted the importance of producers reporting losses to their crop insurance agents. They assured that Approved Insurance Providers are prepared for an influx of claims and outlined several emergency procedures. These include extending deadlines for loss notices, simplifying the claims adjustment process for multiple crops, waiving appraisals for extensively damaged crops, and expediting loss adjustments that are necessary to make payments. Producers with federal crop insurance are encouraged to contact their crop insurance agent as soon as losses are apparent. Keep an eye on the RMA’s website for more information.

The Farm Service Agency discussed upcoming planning calls for specific programs and key disaster designations that authorize emergency loans and Disaster Set Asides (DSA). Several standing disaster programs were detailed, including the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP), Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP), Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), and Tree Assistance Program (TAP). The FSA stressed the importance of documenting losses meticulously, advising producers to gather farm records, herd inventory, and receipts and take time and date-stamped videos or pictures of damages or losses. A full list of disaster assistance programs is available on FSA’s hurricane webpage.

In response to Hurricane Helene, several flexibilities are being offered:

  • ECP and EFRP: Extended signup in states affected by Hurricane Helene, now beginning on Oct. 15, 2024
  • ELAP: Assistance for above-normal costs to transport livestock to feed or vice versa in impacted states
  • TAP: Extended assistance to trees, bushes, and vines that are no longer economically viable
  • NAP: Waiver of the 72-hour notification requirement for hand-harvested crops

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack also announced further assistance for producers impacted by Hurricane Helene. USDA is providing over $233 million in indemnities through the Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIP-WI) and Tropical Storm Option (TS) endorsements. These payments will help farmers and rural communities recover from the hurricane’s devastating effects.

These payments are part of a broader effort by the USDA to support recovery from recent hurricanes, with over $630 million paid out in 2024 alone. Approved Insurance Providers have been given a 30-day window to issue payments to producers. RMA emergency flexibilities are available to all counties impacted by Hurricanes Helene or Debby in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

For more information on USDA disaster assistance programs and emergency procedures, visit RMA’s hurricane webpage.

NACD encourages all members affected by Hurricane Helene to engage with their local USDA office for support and guidance. Additional disaster assistance information can be found on farmers.gov, including the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, Loan Assistance Tool, and Natural Disasters and Crop Insurance fact sheet.

 

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