The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering relief assistance to Georgia farmers who are still recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, with estimated indemnities in the state predicted at $207.7 million.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told WABE that the department has been working quickly to provide resources to those in Georgia and other states in the southeast that have been affect by tropical storm damage.
“This is just the start, because we’re dealing with a major loss here,” said Vilsack. “But I think it indicates the desire of the Biden-Harris administration to make sure that we’re on top of this and that we’re doing everything we can to give resources to people as quickly as we can.”
He said the estimated $207.7 million is just the beginning of what his department believes Georgia farmers will be able to receive in crop insurance coverage and other relief once total losses are formally tallied.
“This is a large amount of money, but it is relatively a small amount of money if you look at the totality of the loss that these farmers have suffered,” he said. “This is a first payment, if you will, on [crop insurance] payments that they have.”
In the meantime, one major resource that Georgia farmers can visit to access relief is Farmers.gov, which offers resources including emergency loans and programs that reimburse for the loss of livestock. Vilsack said many producers of specialty crops, such as cotton, have seen significant impacts from Helene.
“That’s why it’s important for farmers to take advantage of the programs,” he said. “That’s the hope and that’s the goal.”
Vilsack also noted that the impact of various storms this year has left major damages not only to farmland and crops, but homes as well.
The department will be assisting homeowners who have suffered damages to secure resources needed to repair property, including destruction to water and utility systems.
The loss of shelter is one factor that Vilsack said has caused Georgia to become one of three states, including North Carolina and Tennessee, where residents are eligible to receive food assistance through the USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP). Approximately 982,930 households in Georgia are estimated to be eligible for the assistance.
He states that the program provides residents on food assistance the opportunity to replace cards that may have been lost during the storm and places them “back in the business of being able to access food for their family.”
The D-SNAP card can also be used for hot meals, so those who do not have access to spaces to prepare food will not be negatively affected.
According to the USDA website, the state will operate in providing the program benefits through four phases.
From Oct. 21 to 26, residents in the counties of Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Liberty and Long will be eligible.
From Oct. 29 to Nov. 4, access will be offered to residents in the counties of Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Camden, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Echols, Glynn, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift and Ware.
From Nov 7. to 14, benefits will be eligible to residents of Burke, Columbia, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Screven and Washington counties.
Finally, from Nov. 18 to Nov. 23, the program will allow access to residents of Appling, Candler, Emanuel, Jeff Davis, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Wayne and Wheeler counties.
Vilsack said he hopes these resources provided by the USDA can help bring Georgians back to a sense of security.
“We know that there are a number of farmers and ranchers and producers in [Georgia] that need this help and assistance to continue to do what they love to do,” he said.
“It takes time,” he added. “It does take some patience, but people need to know that we’re here, and we’re going to stay here until everyone gets back to a sense of normal.”
