USDA doling out $341 million in rural, farm disaster relief

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will distribute $340.6 million in disaster assistance to farmers, ranchers, and rural communities impacted by natural disasters across the country.

The funding comes through the USDA Disaster Assistance Fund and is intended to help communities repair homes, businesses, infrastructure, and restore essential services following severe storms, hurricanes, wildfires, and other natural disasters.

The announcement follows a January executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at accelerating disaster relief to communities that had experienced delays in receiving federal assistance. The order directed agencies to prioritize regions that have faced prolonged recovery timelines.

During a visit to North Dakota, Rollins confirmed that more than $5 million will be allocated to help rebuild electric infrastructure damaged by recent storms and wildfires. Additional aid is earmarked for other states, including $25 million for communities in North Carolina and $18 million for those in Tennessee. These funds are expected to support recovery efforts linked to hurricanes dating back to 2022, including Fiona, Ian, Idalia, and Helene.

The USDA plans to divide the funding across several categories: $5.8 million will go toward economic development for local enterprises and farm producers, $15.6 million will help rural communities restore essential infrastructure, $20 million is set aside for drinking water, waste disposal, and electric system repairs, and $2 million will fund technical assistance for towns seeking recovery aid.

“My heart goes out to the families across our great country who have lost loved ones, homes, businesses and livelihoods,” 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.”

The USDA also announced administrative changes to the disaster assistance process, aiming to speed up the release of funds and reduce application backlogs. These changes include relaxing eligibility restrictions such as income and population requirements to broaden access for rural applicants.

The disaster assistance fund is designed to offer direct support to rural families, agricultural producers, and small businesses as they work to recover from natural disasters and rebuild their communities.

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