FEDERAL PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
SBA Disaster Assistance for Hurricane Helene: SBA disaster assistance loan programs are designed for for homeowners, renters, nonprofits, and businesses of all sizes affected by Hurricane Helene. Eligible areas are within Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. Please call SBA at 800‐659‐2955 or schedule an in-person appointment if you have any questions.
- Home Disaster Loans: Loans to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate and personal property, including automobiles.
- Business Physical Disaster Loans: Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property owned by the business, including real estate, inventories, supplies, machinery and equipment. Businesses of any size are eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, private universities, etc., are also eligible.
- Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL): Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of the disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period.
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA)
Per an October 2, 2024 press release, President Biden has approved federal disaster assistance that is available for survivors in designated counties in Florida, Georgia North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
Survivors may apply for assistance in three ways: online by visiting disasterassistance.gov, calling 800-621-3362, or on the FEMA App.
Survivors may receive upfront funds to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula, and other emergency supplies. Funds may also be available to repair storm-related damage to homes and personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay.
USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT DISASTER ASSISTANCE
USDA DISASTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
- Tree Assistance Program: Financial Assistance for Orchardists and Nursery Tree Growers.
- Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool: Learn about USDA disaster assistance programs.
- Disaster Assistance Programs At-A-Glance Brochure: Overview of available disaster assistance programs and eligibility requirements.
- DisasterAssistance.gov: Emergency Farm Loans
- Disaster Set-Aside Program: Provides producers who have existing direct loans with FSA who are unable to make the scheduled payments to move up to one full year’s payment to the end of the loan. Assistance is available in counties, or contiguous counties, that have been designated as emergencies by the President, Secretary, or FSA Administrator.
- Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP): Disaster food stamps that help pay for food if you live in a state with an Individual Assistance Declaration from the President. D-SNAP provides funds on an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card to pay for food. Even if you do not normally receive or qualify for food assistance through SNAP benefits, you may qualify for D-SNAP.
- Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP): Funds cover losses due to eligible weather or other events, like blizzards and wildfires, disease (including cattle tick fever), and water shortages. ELAP covers losses that other Disaster Assistance Programs do not cover.
- Emergency Conservation Program and Emergency Forest Restoration Program: Helping landowners and forest stewards with financial and technical assistance to restore damaged farmland or forests.
- Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP): a federal emergency recovery program operated by USDA NRCS to help local communities recover after natural disasters strike. Eligible activities include: removing debris from stream channels, road culverts and bridges; reshaping and protecting eroded streambanks; correcting damaged or destroyed drainage facilities; establishing vegetative cover on critically eroding lands; repairing levees and structures; repairing certain conservation practices; and purchase of EWP Buyouts.
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program: NRCS-funded conservation practices protect land from erosion, support disaster recovery and repair and can help mitigate loss from natural disasters.
- Farm Services Agency: Disaster Assistance Programs.
- Farmers.gov
- Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP): Providing benefits to livestock producers for livestock deaths above normal mortality caused by weather attacks or by animals reintroduced into the wild. LIP payments are equal to 75% of the average fair market value. Read the LIP Fact Sheet here.
- Noninsured Disaster Assistance Program (NAP): Pays covered producers of covered non-insurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters (includes native grasses for grazing). Eligible producers must have purchased NAP coverage for the current year’s crop(s).