Release Date:
June 25, 2019
When disasters such as the March 12 through June 15 storms and floods strike, Iowa farmers and ranchers have options for help.
Farmers and ranchers affected by the storms and floods in Fremont, Harrison, Louisa, Mills, Monona, Pottawattamie, Scott, Shelby and Woodbury counties may be eligible for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with some immediate needs including:
- Grants to pay for temporary housing and minor home repairs,
- Grants to replace personal property, including clothing,
- Grants to pay for serious immediate needs not covered by insurance.
The deadline for registering with FEMA is July 1.
- To register, use one of these three options:
- Call FEMA at 800-621-3362 between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. CDT, daily. Multilingual operators are available.
- Apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
- Use a smartphone to download the FEMA app at www.fema.gov/mobile-app and register.
- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) may offer low-interest loans to farmers and ranchers to rebuild or repair their primary home and replace lost or damaged personal property.
- Call SBA’s Disaster Assistance Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955. TTY users may call 800-877-8339.
- Email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
- Visit www.sba.gov/disaster.
- Applicants may also apply online using the Electronic Loan Application via SBA’s secure website at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
- The deadline for registering with the SBA is Monday, July 1.
- Other programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Iowa Farm Service Agency (FSA) include:
- Emergency Loans Program provides Iowa farmers and ranchers a variety of loans that may be used to:
- Restore or replace essential property.
- Pay all or part of production costs associated with the disaster year.
- Pay essential family living expenses.
- Reorganize the farming operation.
- Refinance certain debts, excluding real estate.
- Provide loans for actual production and/or physical losses. Production losses must be substantial. The maximum loan is $500,000.
Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program provides financial assistance for non-insurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters, including grass for grazing. Go to www.farmers.gov