As leaders from both parties ratchet up pressure on Congress to deliver more help for Georgians hit by Hurricane Helene, farmers who suffered damage can now apply for a special state loan assistance program.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture announced Friday the launch of the “SAFETY 24 Hurricane Helene Relief Loan Program,” to help farmers with a range of storm-related costs: from operating expenses to repair and replacement of damaged structures and equipment. It will also cover lost income.
To be eligible, farmers must have sustained losses and live in one of the 96 Georgia counties designated disaster zones by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or an adjacent one. Loans through the program are capped at $500,000 with a 2% fixed interest rate and will be offered on a first come, first served basis.
Hurricane Helene’s devastating pass through Georgia caused about $6.5 billion in damages to its agriculture and timber sectors, according to preliminary calculations by the GDA, the Georgia Forestry Commission and the University of Georgia.
Funding for the loan program comes from the $100 million pot of state money Gov. Brian Kemp and legislators recently redirected to help with the hurricane recovery. Of that, $75 million has been earmarked for the GDA loan program, with the remaining $25 million set to be doled out by the Georgia Forestry Commission to help foresters cope with losses.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said in statement the SAFETY 24 program aims to keep farms afloat while they wait on more federal relief, adding he would “strongly encourage all impacted farmers to apply so we can begin to build back strong(er) than before.”
The program’s launch comes as demands from President Joe Biden and state leaders for Congress to deliver more storm relief intensify.
Earlier this month, Biden asked Congress for $100 billion to help with the recovery from Helene as well as Hurricane Milton, which slammed Florida in early October. Then, this week, Kemp delivered a $12.2 billion request of his own to federal legislators asking for help to soften agricultural losses, rebuild housing and more.
“Georgia’s farmers have experienced unprecedented losses as a result of Hurricane Helene and the storms that followed it, and we’re taking decisive action on the state level to provide relief for them as quickly as possible,” Kemp said in a statement.
Georgia’s Democratic Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock both delivered impassioned calls from the Senate floor this week, urging their colleagues to pass a hurricane relief package. But with President-elect Donald Trump preparing to return to the White House, it’s not clear whether Congress will act during the current lame duck session.
If Georgia farmers have to wait on more federal help, it wouldn’t be the first time. After 2018′s Hurricane Michael, aid to some farmers didn’t arrive until 2020.
How to apply
- Application forms and loan details can be found at gdaonline.com/hurricane-helene-loan-program
- Applications can be submitted online by emailing anita@gdaonline.com or by regular mail addressed to the Georgia Development Authority, 1890 Highway 130, Monroe, Ga. 39655.
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