Do you have livestock? Do you have planted pines? Do you have pecan orchards for commercial use? Do you have blueberries, blackberries, olive trees, citrus trees?
The USDA has 6 programs available to provide disaster relief from Hurrican Helene Damage. Please get in touch with your local USDA office to sign up for assistance. The available programs are listed down below.
Tattnall-Evans County Office – 912-557-6706 Ext 2 : 206 S Main Street, Reidsville, GA 30543
Bulloch-Candler Office – 912-871-2600 : 151 Langston Chapel Rd, Statesboro, GA 30458
Instructions on Storm Clean Up From the USDA Office
The main thing is to be sure to get time-stamped photos to document the storm damage and get it turned in to your local office as soon as possible. If they are unable to get photos, let us know and we will try and get out there and get some. Growers are allowed to start cleaning up as long as they have documented everything, they must leave the “root ball” of any trees that are down, but they can cut the tops off and remove top only.
Documenting Loss
We encourage you to document damages and losses your operation has sustained as best you can, including gathering farm records, herd inventory, receipts and pictures of damages or losses. Livestock producers are advised to document livestock numbers by taking time and date-stamped video or pictures of injury or loss, to the extent possible. Please know that we recognize these are extremely extenuating and stressful circumstances and there may be instances where documentation is lost, destroyed or unattainable. Regardless, please contact us and we will do whatever we can to help you access the assistance you need.
Reporting Loss
Once you are able to safely evaluate the impact on your operation, be sure to contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) county office or your crop insurance agent to report all crop, livestock and farm infrastructure damages and losses. For producers who have risk protection through Federal Crop Insurance, the USDA Risk Management Agency has authorized Approved Insurance Providers to provide flexibility on reporting requirements for those who are unable to report losses due the disaster.
Disaster Recovery Programs: Flexibilities and Waivers
USDA has issued program delivery flexibilities and waivers. We know this is a lot of information, but we want you to know what’s available as quickly as possible. As the recovery process progresses, there may be more flexibilities and waivers needed. Updated information will be timely shared as details unfold.
The information below describes some of the current program flexibilities and waivers, as of Oct. 3, 2024, available for producers impacted by Hurricane Helene. To learn about benefits available through our recovery programs including those listed below, please view the Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet.
- 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.
