Farmers, ranchers, families and small businesses affected by recent severe storms and flooding have assistance available through several U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs.
USDA staff in regional, state and county offices in Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas are ready to help.
“We want you to know that USDA resources are at your disposal,” Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement. “USDA has people on the ground, in every county, who can help you. We will do everything we can to help farmers get those fields back in order and encourage them to take advantage of these USDA resources.”
USDA encourages residents and small businesses in the impacted areas to contact the following offices to meet their individual needs:
Property and Shelter
When floods destroy or severely damage residential property, USDA Rural Development can assist with providing priority hardship application processing for single family housing. Under a disaster designation, USDA Rural Development can issue a priority letter for next available multi-family housing units.
While these programs do not normally have disaster assistance authority, many of USDA Rural Development programs can help provide financial relief to small businesses hit by natural disasters, including low-interest loans to community facilities, water environmental programs, businesses and cooperatives and to rural utilities.
More information can be found on the Rural Development website or by contacting the state offices.
Food Safety and Food Assistance
Severe weather forecasts often present the possibility of power outages that could compromise the safety of stored food. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) recommends that consumers take the necessary steps before, during and after a power outage to reduce food waste and minimize the risk of foodborne illness.
FSIS offers tips for keeping frozen and refrigerated food safe and a brochure that can be downloaded and printed for reference.
Contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET or visit AskKaren.gov to chat live with a food safety specialist, available in English and Spanish, if you have questions about the safety of food in your home.
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 here.
Crop and Livestock Loss
The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers many safety-net programs to help farmers and ranchers recover from eligible losses, including the Livestock Indemnity Program, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program, Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) and the