USDA Delivers Immediate Relief to Farmers, Ranchers and Rural Communities Impacted by Recent Disasters

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced $340.6 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture disaster assistance to deliver relief to farmers, ranchers and rural communities impacted by natural disasters that have caused devastation across the country.

In support of President Trump’s January executive order, which expedited assistance to communities who were left behind by the Biden Administration, Secretary Rollins is delivering critical aid through the USDA Disaster Assistance Fund to provide immediate relief to communities that have waited far too long to receive the aid they need to recover.

“My heart goes out to the families across our great country who have lost loved ones, homes, businesses and livelihoods,” Secretary Rollins said. “As one of his first executive actions, President Trump made it a top priority for his administration to deliver fast and fair relief to communities impacted by disasters. USDA is fulfilling the President’s promise today and ensuring we are doing everything we can to support state and local efforts to rebuild these communities to be even stronger than before.”

Secretary Rollins made the announcement today in North Dakota where USDA is delivering more than $5 million to help rebuild electric infrastructure following damage from severe storms and wildfires.

USDA will also deliver $25 million in relief to North Carolina communities and $18 million to Tennessee communities impacted by hurricanes since 2022 including hurricanes Fiona, Ian, Idalia, Helene, and more. As part of this funding, USDA will use:

• $5.8 million to support economic development for enterprises and farm producers.
• $15.6 million to help rural communities rebuild key infrastructure after disasters.
• $20 million for safe drinking water, sanitary waste disposal, and electric infrastructure restoration.
• $2 million for technical assistance to towns seeking aid.

As part of today’s announcement, the Trump Administration is making key improvements to the fund, cutting bureaucratic inefficiencies that will enable USDA to put Americans first by:

• Deploying critical aid as quickly as possible;
• Ensuring funds are more responsibly and effectively managed than ever before;
• Responding immediately to a backlog of requests from communities that have sought disaster assistance in recent years; and
• Waiving limiting eligibility criteria such as income requirements, population limits and more.

The USDA Disaster Assistance Fund will provide relief directly to rural families, farmers and small business owners, helping them recover, restore and rebuild to be stronger than before. The fund will be used to repair homes, businesses, infrastructure and critical services in communities hit hardest by disaster.

Today’s announcement shows the Administration’s commitment to standing with America’s rural communities during their times of need. USDA continues to prioritize swift and effective disaster relief, ensuring that no community is left behind following natural disasters.

For more information on USDA disaster assistance programs, visit the Rural Development Disaster Assistance webpage.