Tropical Storm and Hurricane Recovery Resources

Contact Your Local USDA Service Center Prior to Cleaning Up

USDA Recovery Resources for Tropical Storms and Hurricanes

August 6, 2024

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers impacted by a tropical storm or hurricane that FSA has programs and resources available to provide assistance in recovery efforts. USDA staff in Florida stand ready and are eager to assist our state’s producers in the aftermath of any storm.

It is critical that producers keep accurate records to document damage or loss and report losses and damage to their local USDA Service Center as soon as possible.

Additionally, due to long standing federal law, producers should not perform any clean-up efforts until an environmental evaluation has been completed by your local county office unless there is an immediate threat to human life. Failure to comply could jeopardize a producer's payment eligibility.

FSA offers several disaster assistance programs for producers recovering from the impact of a tropical storm or hurricane. Key programs include:

• The Tree Assistance Program (TAP), which provides financial assistance to eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes, and vines lost by natural disasters.
• The Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP), which provides payments to eligible owners of nonindustrial private forest land in order to carry out emergency measures to restore land damaged by a natural disaster.
• The Emergency Conservation Program (ECP), which provides emergency funding and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland and conservation structures damaged by natural disasters and implement emergency water conservation measures in periods of severe drought.
• The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), which provides financial assistance to producers of noninsurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters.
• The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP), which provides financial assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees, and farm-raised fish for losses due to disease and certain adverse weather events or loss conditions.
• The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), which provides benefits to livestock producers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather or attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government.

For more information on available disaster assistance programs and resources, please contact your local USDA Service Center or visit www.farmers.gov/protection-recovery/hurricane.

To report a loss, emails can be sent to the FSA disaster group inbox at SM.FPAC.FSA.FLFSA.Disaster@USDA.GOV – please indicate the County of loss in the Subject Line – emails sent to the disaster group inbox will receive an auto reply acknowledging receipt.

USDA Farm Service Agency in Florida

4500 NW 27th Avenue
Bldg D-1
Gainesville, Florida 32606-6611
Phone: (352) 379-4500
Fax: (833) 881-9156

State Executive Director
Deborah Tannenbaum
Deborah.Tannenbaum@usda.gov

District Directors
Districts 1: Cal Sherrouse - Claude.Sherrouse@usda.gov
District 2: Mark Carlton - Mark.Carlton@usda.gov
District 3: Justin Teuton - Justin.Teuton@usda.gov
District 4: Amanda Morgan-Dubach - Amanda.Morgan-dubach@usda.gov

Florida State Site