Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns and the state’s top agriculture official are urging President Donald Trump to extend the deadline for Georgians affected by Hurricane Helene to apply for federal disaster assistance.
Hurricane Helene, which struck the Southeast last September, was one of the most destructive and deadly tropical storms in U.S. history, responsible for at least 219 deaths and almost $80 billion in damages. The storm caused an estimated $5.5 billion in damage to Georgia’s agriculture and forestry sectors alone, according to estimates from the University of Georgia.
After the storm, then-President Joe Biden declared a major disaster for dozens of hard-hit Georgia counties. The move allowed affected residents in those areas to request federal disaster assistance to help them rebuild, but the agency’s application period closed last week.
In a letter addressed to Trump on Wednesday, Burns, a Newington Republican, and state Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper asked the president to consider extending the application window, arguing many Georgians still need help recovering from the historic storm.
Burns and Harper thanked Trump for his support, but said “Georgia’s communities are still facing unprecedented losses and millions of dollars in incurred clean-up costs.”
In the letter, the pair also asked Trump to provide clarity on when outstanding federal disaster relief will be released to Georgians, particularly farmers.
“Right now, the future is uncertain for far too many Georgia farmers, and without assistance, some of them will not make it through this growing season,” Burns and Harper wrote.
The Trump administration made a move similar to the one Georgia’s leaders are requesting when it extended the window for North Carolina’s affected residents to apply for federal assistance.
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