Disaster Assistance Available to West Virginia Family Farmers For livestock, Crops And Property Damage
Release Date: April 15, 2003
Release Number: 1455-38
» More Information on West Virginia Severe Winter Storms
Charleston, WV - Following the major disaster declaration resulting from ice storms and flooding Feb. 16, farmers and ranchers in West Virginia are eligible for disaster-recovery assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA).
More than 300,000 acres of forests were damaged by ice in the Feb. 16 storm according to the state Department of Agriculture. The hardest hit counties were Mason, Jackson, Calhoun and Roane counties.
Hanging limbs and downed trees littered public roadways as well as farmlands. Removal of this debris is key to protecting lives and enabling farmers to cultivate their crops and raise livestock.
FEMA provides eligible homeowners several types of disaster assistance:
- Temporary housing- when the principle residence is made inaccessible, unsafe or unsanitary.
- Home repairs- for basic disaster related repairs not covered by insurance.
- Other needs- covering serious needs caused by the disaster including expenses for medical, funeral, transportation, and moving and storage.
FSA and a number of nonprofit organizations can assist farmers in clearing their land of disaster-related debris. A few methods used include bulldozing, cutting trees into firewood for sale, shredding or mulching, and conservation practices to lessen erosion or prevent blockage of streams and rivers.
"In addition to the basic disaster assistance programs available to eligible individuals affected by the storms, there are a number of programs specifically for farmers through the Farm Service Agency," according to FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Louis Botta. Thirty-three West Virginia counties declared eligible for FSA Emergency (EM) loan assistance are
Berkeley
Braxton
Cabell
Calhoun
Clay
Gilmer
Grant
Greenbrier
Hampshire
Jackson
Jefferson
Kanawha
Lewis
Lincoln
Logan
Mason
McDowell
Mercer
Mineral
Mingo
Monroe
Morgan
Nicholas
Pocahontas
Preston
Putnam
Raleigh
Roane
Upshur
Wayne
Webster
Wirt
Wyoming
EM loan applications will be received through Nov. 14 for physical and production losses.
The Farm Service Agency Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) provides emergency funds to disaster victims whose land has been impaired or productive capacity curtailed. Eligibility for individual assistance and cost share levels up to 64 percent are set by County Committees for:
- Debris removal;
- Fence restoration;
- Grading and shaping of farmland;
- Restoring structures; or
- Water conservation measures, including providing water to livestock in periods of severe drought.
Under the Livestock Compensation Program (LCP), the FSA also provides emergency assistance to eligible owners and leasees of eligible livestock for damages and losses due to a natural disaster declared between 11/1/01 and 2/20/03. Counties must have been primary designated counties within those dates.
Farmers with winter storm and flood damage in designated counties are encouraged to call the FEMA toll-free teleregistration number 800-621-FEMA (3362) to apply for assistance. People with hearing or speech impairments may call (TTY) 800-462-7585.
Farm assistance information is available at your local FSA office or on FSA's website at disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 16-Apr-2003 09:16:52