hurricane helene

Agricultural producers in more than 200 counties in six Southeastern states will receive nearly $234 million for wind losses sustained during Hurricane Helene, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday. Crop insurance companies were expected to pay the indemnities within 30 days.

High winds and heavy rains from Hurricane Helene destroyed one-fifth of the cotton crop in Georgia, the second-largest cotton state in the nation, said the USDA's monthly Crop Production report. The USDA estimated that growers would harvest 1.65 million bales of cotton weighing 480 pounds each, down by 400,000 bales from a pre-hurricane estimate.

Three out of every 10 acres of cotton in Georgia, the No. 2 cotton-growing state in the country, was in poor or very poor condition following Hurricane Helene, said the USDA on Monday. Before the hurricane, just one in 10 acres fell into those categories in the weekly Crop Progress report and 59 percent were in good or excellent condition, compared to 34 percent now.

The USDA will work with farmers and rural communities to help them recover from “significant” losses caused by Hurricane Helene, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday. As an example, he said, “We’re working with crop insurance companies now to expedite payments so farmers will receive help in November, if not sooner.”

The Agriculture Department will distribute $1.7 billion for the purchase of locally and regionally produced food for emergency food assistance, said Agriculture deputy secretary Xochitl Torres Small on Tuesday. Most of the money would flow through schools, childcare facilities, and food banks and some would go directly to emergency food providers.

Hurricane Helene struck the U.S. Southeast as crops were maturing for harvest and growers will need emergency assistance, said Senate Agriculture chairwoman Debbie Stabenow on Monday. Poultry barns and processing plants along with field crops were damaged from Florida to North Carolina and Tennessee, according to early reports.