Disaster Assistance & Emergency Relief
Supporting farmers and ranchers when crisis strikes.
Natural disasters can disrupt operations, damage land and infrastructure, and threaten the livelihood of agricultural producers. The USDA offers a range of programs to help farmers, ranchers, and rural communities recover from weather-related events such as drought, floods, wildfires, hurricanes, and other emergencies.
This section brings together the key relief programs available through the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and other USDA agencies, including emergency loans, livestock aid, crop loss coverage, and land rehabilitation support.
Explore the programs below to find timely assistance, practical recovery tools, and guidance for rebuilding after disaster.
1. Emergency Relief Programs
These programs provide financial assistance to producers affected by natural disasters:
- Emergency Relief Program (ERP)
- Offers payments to producers who suffered crop losses due to qualifying natural disasters.
- Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP)
- Provides direct payments to producers facing increased input costs and market disruptions.
- Emergency Farm Loans
- Offers loans to help producers recover from production and physical losses due to disasters.
2. Livestock and Specialty Crop Assistance
Programs tailored for livestock producers and specialty crop growers:
- Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP)
- Provides financial assistance for losses not covered by other disaster programs.
- Tree Assistance Program (TAP)
- Assists orchardists and nursery tree growers in replanting or rehabilitating eligible trees, bushes, and vines lost due to natural disasters.
3. Conservation and Land Recovery
Programs aimed at rehabilitating farmland and forests after disasters:
- Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)
- Helps producers repair farmland damaged by natural disasters and implement water conservation measures during drought.
- Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP)
- Assists private forest landowners in restoring forests damaged by natural disasters.
4. Non-Insurable Crop Disaster Assistance
Support for crops not covered by standard insurance:
- Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP)
- Provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters.
5. Additional Resources
- USDA Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool
- An interactive tool to help producers identify which USDA disaster assistance programs might be right for them.
- Rural Development Disaster Assistance
- Provides support for rural residents, businesses, and communities affected by disasters.
