By Blake Jackson
Kentucky farmers affected by the excessive rainfall and high winds caused by Hurricane Helene on September 28–29, 2024, can now access critical recovery support through a Secretarial natural disaster designation.
This designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to offer emergency loans to help farmers rebuild and recover from the disaster's impacts.
Emergency loans serve a variety of purposes, including replacing essential equipment or livestock, reorganizing farming operations, or refinancing existing debts.
The FSA will evaluate loan applications based on the severity of losses, available security, and the farmer’s repayment capacity.
The primary counties eligible for this assistance in Kentucky are Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, and Hickman. Farmers in these areas are encouraged to explore available resources and determine their eligibility. Applications for these emergency loans must be submitted by August 11, 2025.
To assist farmers, USDA offers tools like the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool and Loan Assistance Tool on farmers.gov. Additionally, the Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet provides a quick overview of available programs.
For more information or to file a Notice of Loss, farmers should contact their local USDA Service Center. This support aims to provide much-needed relief and help Kentucky’s agricultural community recover and thrive.
Photo Credit: usda-farm-service-agency
Categories: Kentucky, Government & Policy, Weather