Resources for Farmers

UGA Extension agent Ross Greene outlines key steps farmers should take before hurricane season to protect animals, equipment, and infrastructure. Read more here.

• Reinforce infrastructure: Inspect barns and outbuildings, secure loose items, and move equipment out of flood-prone areas.

• Plan for power and water: Test generators, store at least 72 hours of fuel, and ensure capacity to run well pumps for livestock water needs.

• Identify livestock: Use ear tags, paint, or braided tags with contact info, and keep health and ownership records waterproof and backed up.

• Stock supplies: Keep one to two weeks of feed, medicine, and emergency equipment on hand. Store hay in dry areas.

• Evacuate early: Relocate animals—especially smaller species—at least 96 hours before landfall, with health papers and vaccinations ready.

• Maintain records: Keep an updated inventory and document conditions with photos for insurance purposes. Sign up for emergency alerts.

Bottom line: Early preparation reduces risks and speeds recovery. Farmers are encouraged to contact UGA Extension for disaster planning tools and resources.

USDA provides a wide range of programs to help farmers and ranchers prepare for, recover from, and build resilience against hurricanes and tropical storms. Following Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton (2024), USDA agencies—including the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA)—expanded flexibilities in their disaster programs to streamline support. Read more here.

Key Recovery Programs:

• ELAP (Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees & Farm-Raised Fish): Covers losses and extra costs like hauling feed or water.

• Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP): Compensates for livestock deaths above normal mortality.

• Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance (NAP): Provides coverage for crops not insurable under federal crop insurance.

• Tree Assistance Program (TAP): Cost-share for replanting or rehabilitating trees, vines, or bushes.

• Emergency Conservation & Forest Restoration Programs: Financial/technical aid for fencing, debris removal, farmland and forest repairs.

• EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program): Helps with practices like clearing debris, repairing roads/fences, and protecting sensitive areas.

• Farm Loans: Direct and guaranteed loans for recovery expenses, refinancing, or replacing property.

• Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP): Supports stream clearing, erosion control, levee repair, and floodplain easements.

• Farm Storage Facility Loans: Low-interest loans to replace or build storage infrastructure.

• Supplemental Disaster Assistance (2023/2024): New federal funding from the American Relief Act of 2025 provides over $30B for recovery programs.

Preparation and Risk Management:

• Crop Insurance & HIP-WI: Insurance options include Hurricane Insurance Protection–Wind Index and Tropical Storm coverage.

• Emergency Planning: Secure buildings, remove debris, protect records, stock supplies, and document farm assets.

• Insurance & Records: Keep thorough pre- and post-storm documentation for claims and recovery aid.

Reporting Losses & Filing Deadlines:

• ELAP/LIP: Report to FSA by March 1 following the disaster year.

• NAP: Notice of loss within 15 days (72 hours for hand-harvested crops).

• Crop Insurance: Notify your agent within 72 hours and follow up in writing within 15 days.

Resources & Tools:

• Online decision tools for ELAP and LIP applications.

• Farmers.gov Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool.

• Fact sheets, webinars, and translated materials.

• Local USDA Service Centers provide in-person guidance.

Below are some helpful resources for farmers recovering after Hurricane Helene. Let us know if we’re missing one.

• Georgia Department of Agriculture – Hurricane Helene Resource Page

• USDA Risk Management Agency – Recent Hurricanes Resource Page  

• USDA Farm Service Agency - Disaster Assistance Programs

• USDA Farm Service Agency - Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool

• FEMA Resources

• USDA RMA State News Page

• IRS Deadline Extensions

• Hurricane Helene HIP-WI Corridor Map

• Disaster Recovery Center Locator

• Senator Ossoff’s Helene Resource Page

• Farm Aid - Family Farm Disaster Fund

• RAFI: Disaster Recovery Resources for Farmers

Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP): 

• Extended ECP and EFRP signup that begins Oct. 15, 2024, and runs through June 1, 2025, in states affected by Hurricane Helene.

• Waiver of onsite inspection requirement for non-engineering practices for ECP and EFRP. 

• Executed Emergency Response (ER-850) authorization of emergency National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) circumstances to expedite FSA approval of practices involving surface debris removal, fence restoration, and non-ground disturbing activities. 

Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP): 

Guidance to FSA County Committees and local staff to exercise maximum flexibility in determining acceptable loss documentation and to ensure LIP applications are acted on timely. 

Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP):  

• Assistance to help cover above normal costs to transport livestock to feed and/or transport feed/forage to livestock in hurricane-impacted states. 

• Assistance to help cover above normal costs to haul water to livestock in hurricane-impacted states. 

Tree Assistance Program (TAP):  

Extension of TAP assistance to trees/bushes/vines that have not died but are no longer capable of production (not economically viable).

Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP): 

• Waiver of 72-hour notification requirement on hand harvested crops. 

• Extended deadline to file a Notice of Loss with FSA. 

• Flexibility for FSA staff to perform loss adjustment activities and/or waive field inspections in cases where the cause of loss can be verified through other means. 

Marketing Assistance Loans (MAL):  

• Additional time for producers to deliver commodities to a buyer to repay MALs with sale proceeds.

• Postponement of MAL foreclosure letters applicable to losses or damages due to hurricanes for up to 90 calendar days.

The Major Disaster Declaration provides Individual Assistance and Public Assistance to Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Echols, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Glascock, Glynn, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, McDuffie, Montgomery, Pierce, Rabun, Richmond, Screven, Tattnall, Telfair, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware, Washington, Wayne and Wheeler Counties. 

The Declaration also provides Individual Assistance only to: Butts, Dodge, Elbert, Fulton, Hancock, McIntosh, Newton, Rabun, Thomas and Warren Counties, as well as Public Assistance only to Mitchell, Pulaski, Twiggs, Wilcox, Wilkinson and Worth Counties.

Individual Assistance may include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, immediate housing and food needs, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of Hurricane Helene. 

Public Assistance can fund debris removal and emergency work on a public facility and may assist with funding for permanently restoring community infrastructure affected by a federally declared incident.