Gov. Kemp announces $100 million in disaster relief for Georgia's agriculture industry after Helene

“This measure is the latest we’ve taken to help them rebuild their livelihoods, but it will not be the last,” the governor said in a press release. “We’ll continue to work with stakeholders on all levels to direct resources and support to the hardworking Georgians devastated by this storm.”

The funds were originally intended for a Capital Funds Project program led by the GSFIC. A proposal was submitted Friday to redirect $100 million to the Georgia Development Authority for disaster relief.

“While we are still evaluating the full impact and devastation from Hurricane Helene, we are certain that members of our farming and timber-producing communities have experienced generational loss,” added Lt. Governor Burt Jones in the release.

Agriculture is Georgia’s most profitable industry, contributing approximately $83.6 billion yearly to Georgia’s economy. Early estimates found that Helene cost Georgia’s economy at least $6.46 billion.

In October, the U.S. Department of Agriculture offered an estimated $207 million in relief to Georgia farmers impacted by Helene.

According to the Associated Press, government and private experts estimate that damage from Helene could cost $50 billion across the Southeast, a threshold set by hurricanes Katrina, Sandy and Harvey. Much of the damage comes from flooding.

Helene made landfall on Sept. 26 in Florida as a category 4 hurricane, weakening into a tropical storm as it moved through Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas.

Helene had a death toll of at least 25 people in Georgia. Over 560,000 Georgians were powerless, with nearly half of the residents being in the Augusta area.

Experts say that climate change is making storms like Hurricane Helene stronger and wetter than in the past, which could continue to impact Georgia and its agriculture industry.