WASHINGTON, March 17, 2025 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced today that USDA will be delivering any assistance it can for communities and agricultural producers affected by the weekend storms that cut a path of devastation through the South and Midwest. These storms have sparked tornadoes, dust storms and wildfires that have engulfed hundreds of square miles, left hundreds of thousands of homes without power and taken dozens of lives. “My heart goes out to the families that have lost loved ones, homes, businesses and livelihoods,” said Secretary Rollins. “President Trump has ordered his administration to assist the state and local efforts in any way we can, and USDA stands ready to deliver that help to those who need it. USDA will be there for the people and communities we serve as they recover and rebuild from this devastation.” Food safety guidance: USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is helping affected residents take steps to reduce their risk of foodborne illness as they return to their homes after severe weather. - During a power outage, the refrigerator will keep food at a safe temperature (below 40°F) for up to 4 hours. A full freezer will hold a safe temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full). Discard any perishable food items in the refrigerator and freezer after these timeframes.
**IN CASE OF FLOODING** - Drink only bottled water that has not been in contact with flood water. Screw caps are not waterproof, so discard any bottled water that may have come in contact with flood water. If you don’t have bottled water, learn how to safely boil or disinfect water at FSIS Consumer's Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes webpage.
- Discard any food or beverage that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance it may have been in contact with flood water. Containers with screw caps, snap lids, pull tops and crimped caps are not waterproof.
- Undamaged, commercially prepared foods in all-metal cans and retort pouches such as flexible, shelf-stable juice or seafood pouches, can be saved by following the steps at the FSIS Consumer's Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes webpage.
- Thoroughly wash all metal pans, utensils and ceramic dishes that came in contact with flood water with hot soapy water. Rinse, then sanitize, by boiling them in clean water or by immersing them for 15 minutes in a solution of one of tablespoon unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of drinking water.
- Discard wooden cutting boards, plastic utensils, baby bottle nipples and pacifiers that may have come in contact with flood water – they cannot be saved after contact with flood water.
For questions about food safety, call the Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854, Monday - Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET (English or Spanish), email MPHotline@usda.gov or live chat at Ask USDA. Risk management and disaster assistance for agricultural operations: USDA offers several risk management and disaster assistance options to help producers recover after disasters. Even before disasters strike, USDA provides tools for producers to manage their risk through the Federal Crop Insurance Program, a public-private partnership between USDA’s Risk Management Agency and private companies and agents. For crops that do not have crop insurance available, the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) is available through the local Farm Service Agency. This risk protection includes crop production loss and tree loss for certain crop insurance products. Producers should reach out to their crop insurance agent or local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office for more information. Producers who suffer losses and are signed up for Federal Crop Insurance or NAP are asked to report crop damage to their crop insurance agent or local FSA office, respectively, within 72 hours of discovering damage and follow up in writing within 15 days. Livestock and perennial crop producers often have more limited risk management options available, so there are several disaster programs for them. Key programs offered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency include: It is also critical that producers keep accurate records to document damage or loss and to report losses to their local USDA Service Center as soon as possible. Additionally, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service can provide financial resources through its Emergency Watershed Protection Program. On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet and Farm Loan Discovery Tool can help producers and landowners determine program or loan options. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent. For FSA and NRCS programs, they should contact their local USDA Service Center. USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is also ready to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and standing by for requests for assistance from states and local authorities, to provide emergency nutrition assistance to people in need. USDA Rural Development (RD) also stands ready to partner with rural communities in their long-term recovery after enduring natural disasters. RD offers programs and services to help people repair and rebuild their homes, businesses, infrastructure and more. Learn more about how RD can support your rural recovery needs at Rural Development Disaster Assistance | Rural Development (usda.gov). |
