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Source: USDA, 9/27/21 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to aid recovery efforts for farmers, ranchers and residents affected by Hurricane Ida. USDA staff in offices across the country are ready to respond with a variety of program flexibilities and other assistance to producers and communities in need.“Hurricane Ida cut a $50 billion path of destruction from the Gulf coast to New England, destroying farms, homes, communities and businesses and taking lives along the way,” said Vilsack. “USDA staff are on the ground in the hardest hit areas and are ready to help communities and agricultural operations rebuild however we can.” Food safety guidance: USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is helping affected residents take steps to reduce their risk of foodborne illness as they return to their homes after severe weather and flooding.
- Drink only bottled water that has not been in contact with flood water. Screw caps are not waterproof, so discard any bottled water that may have come in contact with flood water. If you don’t have bottled water, learn how to safely boil or disinfect water at FSIS Consumer's Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes webpage.
- Discard any food
or beverage that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance
it may have been in contact with flood water. Containers with screw caps,
snap lids, pull tops and crimped caps are not waterproof.
- Undamaged,
commercially prepared foods in all-metal cans and retort pouches such as
flexible, shelf-stable juice or seafood pouches, can be saved by following
the steps at the FSIS Consumer's Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes webpage.
- Thoroughly wash
all metal pans, utensils and ceramic dishes that came in contact with
flood water with hot soapy water. Rinse, then sanitize, by boiling them in
clean water or by immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of one of
tablespoon unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water.
- Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers that may have come in contact with flood water – they cannot be saved after contact with flood water.
Risk management and disaster assistance for
agricultural operations: USDA offers several risk management and disaster
assistance options to help producers recover after disasters. This includes tools for producers to manage their risk
through the Federal Crop Insurance Program, a public-private partnership between USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) and private companies and agents. Already, producers in certain parishes and counties with coverage under Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index (HIP-WI) will receive $27 million in indemnity payments in the coming weeks. This is in addition to coverage provided through underlying policies, which will be processed in the coming months as claims are submitted and processed. Additionally, in certain Louisiana parishes where HIP-WI
triggered, RMA has provided flexibilities to provide additional time after the
September 30 sales closing date for producers to make coverage adjustments in
hardest hit parishes. Producers in these parishes will now have until October
29 to adjust coverage levels. Producers who suffer losses and are signed up for Federal
Crop Insurance or 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. Producers can obtain NAP coverage for the next crop year
through their local USDA Service Center, and historically underserved producers
are able to enroll in basic NAP coverage at no charge. Livestock and perennial crop producers often have more limited risk management options available, so there are several disaster programs for them. Key programs offered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) include:
- The Livestock
Indemnity Program and the Emergency
Assistance for Livestock, Honeybee and Farm-raised Fish Program reimburses
producers for a portion of the value of livestock, poultry and other
animals that were killed or severely injured by a natural disaster or loss
of feed and grazing acres.
- The Tree Assistance Program provides
cost share assistance to rehabilitate or replant orchards and vineyards
when storms kill or damage the trees, vines or bushes. NAP or Federal Crop
Insurance often only covers the crop and not the plant.
- The Emergency Conservation Program and Emergency Forest
Restoration Program can assist landowners and forest
stewards with financial and technical assistance to restore damaged farmland
or forests.
It is also critical that producers keep accurate records
to document damage or loss and to report losses to their local USDA Service
Center as soon as possible. Additionally, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) 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. On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet (PDF, 4.6
MB) 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. Assistance for communities: USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) also wasted no time to provide assistance to states affected by this storm. Some of the actions taken include:
- Approving
Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) in affected parts of Louisiana and Tennessee.
- A Disaster
Household Distribution (DHD) Program which provided food packages to
800,000 affected individuals in the state of Louisiana.
- Temporarily
allowing SNAP recipients to purchase hot food items (normally not allowed
with the program) in areas affected by Ida in the states of Louisiana, New
Jersey, New York, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
- Mass replacement of
SNAP benefits in affected areas of Louisiana.
- Approving a
waiver giving Alabama, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and
Tennessee the option to allow SNAP participants more time to report lost
food, if they are not in an area where everyone is getting their benefits
replaced.
- Providing
additional administrative flexibilities as states work to support
individuals and families in affected areas.
USDA is also assisting 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.
Eligible sponsors include cities, counties, towns, or any federally recognized
Native American tribe or tribal organization. Sponsors must submit a formal
request (via mail or email) to the state conservationist for assistance within
60 days of the natural disaster occurrence or 60 days from the date when access
to the sites become available. For more information, contact the NRCS office at
the local USDA Service Center. Communities and producers affected by Hurricane Ida are
also encouraged to seek recovery information from their local Cooperative Extension offices. More
information is also available through the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN),
supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. |