Storm Damage Plan of Action

Natural disasters can strike at any time, so it’s crucial for livestock farmers to be prepared both before and after a storm. A farm-specific Emergency Action Plan helps farmers make proactive decisions to protect their farm, livestock, and buildings in the event of a disaster.
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If you have questions about what your options are, give the Coalition a call and a staff member will come out to your farm and visit about your particular situation – all at no charge and completely confidential. The Coalition is passionate about responding to the needs of Iowa livestock farmers. We can provide a helping hand as an unbiased third party that can help in the planning and rebuilding process.
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If your farm sustained damage to its livestock and poultry barns, open feedlots or even windbreaks, now may be a good time to have the Coalition come out to your farm and assess your best options for moving forward. Some farmers may just decide to replace damaged buildings while some may want to take the opportunity to relocate and improve facilities.
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For more information, or to arrange a no-cost and confidential farm visit, go to supportfarmers.com or call 800-932-2436.

Being a successful farm manager starts with keeping well-maintained and accurate records. Good records are a key to predicting what may happen in the future. Be sure to keep important farm records in a safe location and have copies saved in a second location if they are not all available electronically. Some of the most important records to have an extra copy of include production, financial, sales, equipment, crop, livestock, state and federal tax returns and Manure Management Plans. There are numerous on-line record keeping programs available for farmers to use today.

  1. Monitor local weather reports for up-to-the-minute information on the storm.
  2. Check generators to be sure they are in good working order.
  3. Identify your animals and keep records so you can recover the live ones and document those that didn’t survive for insurance and tax purposes.  Ear tags, branding, ear notching, etc. are all recommended methods of identifying livestock.
  4. Register your premises. Those that have their premises registered typically are in a better position to have recovery efforts begin sooner.
  5. Make a list of important phone numbers (Emergency Action Plan) in order to make calls following a storm. Phone numbers to include are your veterinarian, neighbors, local emergency management office, insurance agent, fire department, sheriff’s office and employees.
  1. Storm Recovery Checklist: Recovering from a severe storm can be a long process. It may take days, weeks and even months to return to a place of normalcy. While you can’t control the weather, having a storm recovery checklist in place can minimize your losses and help you recover quickly. Be sure you don’t miss crucial storm recovery steps.
  2. State of Iowa Assistance: State of Iowa assistance includes programs like the Iowa Disaster Assistance program, Disaster Case Advocacy, Iowa Disaster Unemployment, and Iowa Insurance Division Post Disaster Resources.
    1. The Disaster Recovery Farm Interest Program (DRFIP): It provides financial assistance to agricultural asset owners and producers who are recovering from property damage and losses caused by recent severe weather events. DRFIP will reimburse one year of interest paid on Eligible Loans executed or amended after the earliest incident date of the federal disaster declaration for the county where the damage occurred.
      1. Applications will be accepted through September 30, 2024, subject to funding availability.
    2.  Iowa Disaster Agriculture Guide: Provides resources for farmers and producers affected by natural disasters which include areas like farm structure or home repairs, temporary unemployment benefits, Emergency Food Assistance Program for participating food pantries, or single-family housing repair loans.
  3. Federal Assistance: 
    1. Federal Emergency Management Agency: This includes resources such as applying for disaster assistance.
    2. Small Business Administration: Businesses may apply to receive funds to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets.

LIP provides benefits to livestock producers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather or by attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the Federal Government. LIP payments are equal to 75 percent of the average fair market value of the livestock.

LEARN MORE

Contact info@supportfarmers.com to request an Emergency Contact Magnet.