  USDA Encourages Ag Producers, Residents to Prepare for Hurricane Helene
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) partnered with FEMA and other disaster-focused organizations and created the Disaster Resource Center. This central source of information utilizes a searchable knowledge base of disaster-related resources powered by agents with subject matter expertise. The Disaster Resource Center website and web tool now provide an easy access point to find USDA disaster information and assistance. USDA also developed a disaster assistance discovery tool specifically targeted to rural and agricultural issues. The tool walks producers through five questions that generate personalized results identifying which USDA disaster assistance programs can help them recover from a natural disaster.
USDA also encourages residents and small businesses in meet impact zones to contact a local USDA office to determine which assistance programs might their individual needs.
Food safety guidance:
Severe weather forecasts often present the possibility of power outages that could compromise the safety of stored food. USDA encourages those in the path of the hurricane to take the following precautions:
- During a power outage, the refrigerator will keep food at a safe temperature (below 40°F) for up to 4 hours. A full freezer will hold a safe temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full). Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed to prevent cold air from escaping.
- Keep an appliance thermometer in both the refrigerator and freezer in the event you do need to check the refrigerator or freezer temperatures.
- Freeze water in small plastic storage bags or containers prior to a storm. These containers are small enough to fit around the food in the refrigerator and freezer to help keep food cold.
- Freeze refrigerated items, such as leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately—this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer.
- Consider getting 50 pounds of dry or block ice if a lengthy power outage is possible. This amount of ice should keep a fully-stocked 18-cubic-feet freezer cold for two days.
- Group foods together in the freezer—this ‘igloo’ effect helps the food stay cold longer.
- Keep a few days’ worth of ready-to-eat foods that do not require cooking or cooling.
For questions about food safety, call the Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854, Monday - Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET (English or Spanish), email MPHotline@usda.gov or live chat at Ask USDA.
Owners of meat and poultry producing businesses who have questions or concerns may contact
the FSIS Small Plant Help Desk by phone at 1-877-FSIS-HELP (1-877-374-7435), by email at infosource@fsis.usda.gov, or 24/7 online at www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/regulatory-compliance/svsp/sphelpdesk.
Protecting pets and livestock:
USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is urging everyone in the potential path of the hurricane to prepare now – not just for yourselves, but also for your pets and your livestock:
- Plan for evacuation – know how you will evacuate and where you will go. If it is not feasible to evacuate your livestock, be sure to provide a strong shelter, and adequate food and water that will last them until you can return.
- If you are planning to move livestock out of state, make sure to contact the State Veterinarian’s Office in the receiving state before you move any animals. You also may contact APHIS Veterinary Services state offices for information and assistance about protecting and moving livestock.
- Listen to emergency officials and evacuate if asked to do so.
Risk management and disaster assistance for agricultural operations:
Producers who suffer losses and whose crops are covered for the crop year by the Federal Crop Insurance Program or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) are asked to report crop damage to their crop insurance agent or local FSA office, respectively, within 72 hours of discovering damage and follow up in writing within 15 days.
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.
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.
There are several standing disaster programs for producers. Key programs offered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) 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.
Additionally, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service can provide financial resources through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help with immediate needs and long-term support to help recover from natural disasters and conserve water resources. USDA can also assist local government sponsors with the cost of recovery efforts like debris removal and streambank stabilization to address natural resource concerns and hazards through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program.
On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet and Farm Loan Discovery Tool can help producers and landowners determine program or loan options. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent. For FSA and NRCS programs, they should contact their local USDA Service Center.
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is also ready to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and standing by for requests for assistance from states and local authorities, to provide emergency nutrition assistance to people in need.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
Florida State Office 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
Administrative Officer
Mark Cotrell 352-379-4512 Mark.Cotrell@usda.gov
Farm Programs Chief
Amy Roller 352-379-4520 Amy.Roller@usda.gov
District Directors
District 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
|
