The recent Hurricane Milton in Tampa, Florida made headlines this week as a dangerous Category 3 hurricane. It progressed to a Category 5 storm with winds reaching 180mph before being reduced to a Category 1 as it moved inland. While Tampa residents are currently recovering from the ordeal, those who were affected by Hurricane Helene at the end of September this year will be able to relate heavily. While disaster relief is currently underway for Hurricane Milton, those who were affected by Hurricane Helene last month can still claim for aid.
Relief for farmers and producers hit by Hurricane Helene
Agricultural security Tom Vilsack announced earlier this month that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be distributing relief for farmers and other producers hit by Hurricane Helene. Hurricane’s can be a disaster for agricultural professionals. They can physically damage crops and infrastructure due to the high winds and heavy rainfall which comes with a hurricane. This can cause disruption in the production chain of local and national food supply.
The assistance from the USDA for farmers and producers affected by Hurricane Helene comes from the Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIP-WI). This program covers part of the deductibles which come with crop insurance policies. It covers over 70 different crops and is available for farmers who live in the Gulf of Mexico region, Atlantic region, and in Hawaii. Florida and the Gulf Coast are particularly often hard hit in the hurricane season.
“Several states across the southeast experienced devastating damages from Hurricane Helene, which caused significant destruction right before the fall harvest season,” said Secretary Vilsack. “The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA will support farmers through the recovery process for the long haul, and this includes today’s step of making innovative types of coverage available and getting funds into the hands of producers quickly.”
$233 million lined up to cover loses
The Biden-Harris Administration has approved the release of $233 million to account for damages by Hurricane Helene. The budget for hurricane relief is significantly large. Already, $58 million has been paid out for Hurricane Beryl, $214 million for Hurricane Debby, and $128 million for Hurricane Francine, which impacted the Gulf Coast and southeastern U.S. This amounts to a total of more than $630 million being distributed in 2024.
The good news for farmers, is there is no need to file any paperwork to receive aid. If your country qualifies for relief, you will automatically be distributed funds if approved by the RMA. If you are unsure if your county qualified for relief assistance, you can check the Product Management Bulletin 24-067 and local actuarial documents. These benefits will be an addition to other insurance policies farmers may be part of.
Hurricanes to only increase with climate change
As the world continues to combat climate change, devastating hurricanes like the ones the nation has seen this year are only to become more frequent in certain areas. Rising ocean temperatures means that storms can pick up more energy which leads to higher wind speeds and stronger hurricanes. Rising ocean temperatures which reached a record high this year have been attributed as to why the Atlantic area received an above-normal hurricane season this year.
To ensure that continued damage is worsened by increasing hurricanes, the world must commit to slowing down rising sea temperatures and achieving carbon neutrality. Current climate goals are to prevent global warming by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2040 and greenhouses must peak by 2025 and decline by 43% by 2030. The reality is, current climate change efforts are predicted to not be enough to reach these goals unless a radical transformation occurs with all countries and governments making climate change the ultimate priority.
