Disaster Resources
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
General disaster preparedness
Department of Homeland Security
FEMA
Small Business Administration
Federal Citizen Information Center
Agriculture-specific disaster preparedness
National:
Extension Disaster Education Network
Humane Society of the United States: disaster preparedness for livestock
North Carolina:
North Carolina Department of Agriculture: storm preparedness
NC Cooperative Extension
DISASTER RECOVERY
Immediate aid
Before worrying about the farm, make sure that you and your family are safe and taken care of.
Red Cross
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
DisasterAssistance.gov
Documenting farm losses
Disaster programs will only assist with documented damage. They sometimes pay for unexpected expenses. For instance, the Emergency Conservation Program can cover your use of chain saws and front-end loaders in recovery efforts, but only if it is pre-authorized and well-documented.
Disaster assistance programs often take place years after the disaster, so you should document losses even if programs are not immediately available.
The first step is to check in with your local FSA office to talk through possible programs.
Government agencies
Different government agencies handle different types of damage, and they do not overlap.
For example, the Farm Service Agency handles all assistance specifically for farms and farmland. The Small Business Administration handles disaster assistance for businesses and provides some housing loans. The Federal Emergency Management Administration handles household damages and reconstruction.
For example, a farmer with a sawmill who sells lumber in the winter, and has a home on the land would need to go to three different agencies. If a hurricane destroys all of the buildings, they would go to FEMA for household possessions and the home, SBA for assistance with damage to the home and the sawmill, and the FSA for assistance with the farm.
Farm Service Agency: Disaster Assistance Programs: assistance for farms and farmland
IRS Disaster Assistance Page: tax law provisions for disaster recovery
Risk Management Agency: information on crop insurance
Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance Page: low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits
Assistance with disaster programs
National Sustainable Agriculture Information Center
Farm Aid
Farmers Legal Action Group
Other helpful sites
Disaster Contracting Assistance Center: contracting with the government to providing disaster services
Environmental Protection Agency
CURRENT DISASTERS
National Drought Mitigation Center
Drought Monitor
FEMA:
DISASTER FACTS AND HISTORY
USDA Economic Research Service Briefing Rooms
QUESTIONS?
Contact Scott Marlow, RAFI's Farm Sustainability Program Director, at (919) 542-1396 x210 or smarlow@rafiusa.org.
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