How Farmers.gov Can Help You Prepare for and Recover from a Hurricane or Other Disaster

Farmers.gov offers two kinds of disaster help: seasonal preparedness guidance (such as its hurricane-season emergency planning notice) and recovery resources covering drought, flood, hurricane, severe storms, wildfire, and winter storms. If you want to know which USDA assistance might fit your situation, the site's Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool walks you through five steps to identify possible programs. For hands-on help, you can contact or book an appointment with your local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office through the site.

Prepare Before the Storm

The site's hurricane-season guidance asks you to have an emergency plan and prepare your operation for potential impacts before a storm arrives. The page does not publish a detailed checklist, so treat the notice as a prompt to act rather than a step-by-step guide. Practical preparation tasks — securing equipment, documenting inventory and livestock, and keeping records where they can survive damage — are general practices you can pair with the site's recovery resources.

Find Recovery Resources by Disaster Type

Farmers.gov groups USDA disaster recovery resources by hazard:

The site also flags current items, such as a news item on reporting suspected screwworm cases and information on the Regenerative Pilot Program. These change over time, so check the page rather than relying on a saved copy.

Use the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool

The Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool is designed to show you USDA disaster assistance that might be right for you by completing five steps. The page describes the tool's purpose and step count but does not list the individual questions, so expect to answer basic questions about your operation and the disaster you experienced. The output is a set of programs that might apply — not a determination of eligibility. Confirm details with your local office before applying.

Contact Your Local Office for Recovery Support

USDA Service Centers are locations where you can meet with Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or Rural Development staff about your business needs. On Farmers.gov you can:

• Find your local service center by selecting your state and county.
• Find your FSA county office to contact or book an appointment with a Farm Program or Farm Loan office.
• Use the FSA Office Locator to book an appointment or reach your local FSA Farm Loan or Farm Program office.
• Find an NRCS Conservation District Partners location, or visit the Risk Management Agency website to locate a regional or compliance office or an insurance agent near you.

The site also notes Urban Service Centers for those who need them.

Related Tools Worth Knowing

Two other Farmers.gov tools can support recovery planning:

• Farm Loan Assistance Tool — learn about farm loans that might be right for you, check eligibility, and get help with application forms.
• Apply for an FSA Loan — a secure online portal to complete and submit a farm loan application.

A Farmers.gov account provides secure self-service business tools such as managing loans, viewing farm records, and e-signing documents. The site mentions subscribing for updates but does not publish pricing or access terms on the page, so check the account creation flow for current requirements.

A Practical Sequence

1. Before storm season, review the hurricane preparedness notice and put an emergency plan in place.
2. After an event, open the disaster recovery resources for your hazard type.
3. Run the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool to shortlist possible programs.
4. Book an appointment with your local FSA or service center office to confirm what applies to your operation.