Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited Asheville, N.C., Oct. 25 to hear firsthand from local, state and Tribal officials, emergency managers, food bank staff and volunteers and impacted producers on the region’s relief and recovery efforts. He also highlighted resources from the USDA to help producers, families and communities in the state recover from Hurricane Helene’s devastation.
“We know that communities impacted by Hurricane Helene have a long road to recovery, and USDA is committed to supporting that recovery for as long as it takes,” Vilsack said in a news release. “Along with our fellow federal agencies across the Biden-Harris administration, USDA will continue using every resource at our disposal to help people in North Carolina get back on their feet.”
USDA said it is working with states, tribes, local governments and partners to provide swift support to communities, farmers, ranchers, private forest landowners and small businesses in North Carolina, and all affected areas, and is looking at every avenue possible to accelerate assistance and find ways to get resources to the people that need them most.
In Asheville, Vilsack visited the Asheville FEMA Emergency Operations Center and U.S. Forest Service Dispatch Center/USDA Asheville Service Center, the release said. He received briefings from local USDA and USFS staff, who have been working to support FEMA’s national response. As part of these efforts, USFS personnel have cleared over 150 miles of road, and partially cleared over 80 miles of road, in multiple counties in western North Carolina, providing critical access for search and rescue crews and other responders, the release said.
Vilsack also traveled to Mills River, N.C., to visit the Manna FoodBank Distribution Center, which has been providing much-needed food assistance and emergency food distributions for residents impacted by Hurricane Helene, according to the USDA.
At the Western North Carolina Farmers Market in Asheville, Vilsack met with local farmers and ranchers whose operations have incurred damages and losses due to Hurricane Helene, the release said. USDA said he heard firsthand how USDA can best support them as they recover and rebuild and assured them that USDA is committed to supporting them as long as it takes. As part of this assistance, Vilsack announced last week initial indemnity payments to producers under hurricane and tropical storm crop insurance policies, totaling an estimated $4.1 million for North Carolina. As farmers submit more claims, the amount of assistance provided will continue to increase, the release said.
The USDA said the following resources are available to impacted producer:
• A suite of programs to help agricultural operations in North Carolina recover and has allowed flexibilities to streamline and expedite the recovery process.
• Producers can visit farmers.gov/hurricane for more information on programs and flexibilities or call the Farm Service Agency call center at 877-508-8364. Updates on available assistance also are available by subscribing to receive free email and text message communications directly from local USDA Service Centers at farmers.gov/subscribe.
• USDA also offers access to mental health resources, including the Southern Ag Exchange Network Farmer Support Hotline, which is available 24/7 at 888-381-7243. This hotline provides confidential support to those struggling mentally and emotionally.
• Visit USDA’s Disaster Resource Center for more on how the USDA is responding to Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
