Disaster Assistance for Ranchers

Fire, flood, blizzard and drought can hit any ranch. Knowing how disaster help generally works, and keeping the right records, makes a hard time more manageable.

Key points

Help may come from several sources and changes over time.
Keep inventories, photos and key documents up to date.
Safety of people comes first after any event.
Call FSA, your insurer and your lender early.
Follow withdrawal times and call your vet for injured animals.

Kinds of help that may exist

After a disaster, help may come from several places: federal programs, state and local agencies, insurance, lenders and neighbors. Programs differ for livestock losses, feed and forage losses, fence and infrastructure damage and drought.

What exists, who qualifies and how much help is available changes with time and with declarations. This guide explains concepts only. Call your local USDA FSA office, NRCS office and your insurance agent for current terms.

In some cases, help is available only after an official declaration or only for losses that meet certain conditions. Ask the offices what applies to your event instead of assuming.

Prepare before something happens

Records make claims easier. Keep an up-to-date inventory of cattle, equipment, fence, buildings and feed, with photos and videos. Keep copies of leases, insurance policies, brand records and property documents in a safe place, preferably also off the ranch or in secure cloud storage.

Know your contacts: veterinarian, insurance agent, FSA office, lender, county emergency management and neighbors.

Take a walk around the place once a year with a phone and record video of each area, narrating what is there. It takes an hour and could be worth a great deal later.

Herd inventory and identification records
Photos of fence, buildings and equipment
Insurance policies and contact numbers
Lease and land documents
Feed and hay inventory

What to do first after a disaster

Safety comes first. Check people, then animals. Watch for downed power lines, damaged structures, unstable ground and contaminated water. Follow guidance from emergency officials and follow manufacturer, OSHA and extension guidance for equipment, chain saws and fuel.

Take photos and video of damage before cleaning up, if safe. Keep records of dead livestock, losses and expenses. Do not dispose of animals in ways that break local or state rules. If you suspect a reportable disease, call your veterinarian, the state veterinarian or USDA APHIS.

Do not attempt to move large debris, deal with downed lines or enter flooded areas without proper equipment and help. Follow emergency officials and utility company instructions.

Contact the right offices quickly

Many programs have deadlines for reporting losses, sometimes short ones. Call your local FSA office as soon as you can to ask what applies. Ask what records and photos they need and what the deadlines are.

Notify your insurance agent. Ask about what is covered and what documentation is required. Ask your lender about options if cash flow is hit.

Write down every call: the date, the name of the person and what they told you. Follow up in writing when you can.

What programs apply to this event?
What deadlines are there for reporting losses?
What records do I need?
Who can help with fence, water or debris cleanup?

Animal care after the event

Cattle may be injured, stressed or exposed to contaminated feed and water. Call your veterinarian for injured or sick animals and follow any withdrawal times exactly for treated animals so no residues reach the beef supply. Ask your nutritionist about safe feed if hay or pasture was affected by flood, fire or smoke.

Check fences before turning cattle out and keep animals away from debris and hazards.

Keep treatment records for any animal given care after a disaster and follow label or veterinary withdrawal times exactly.

Money and the long game

Recovery can take years. Work with your lender, accountant and an attorney on cash flow, taxes on disaster-related livestock sales and any restructuring. Keep every receipt. Ask about conservation programs through NRCS for help with land recovery. Terms change, so call for current information.

This is not financial advice. Rely on your advisers and the program office for details.

Ask neighbors and local groups what they learned. Experience from earlier events in your own county is very useful.

Common mistakes

Not keeping records, cleaning up before documenting, waiting to call the FSA office, assuming insurance covers everything and ignoring safety hazards are the usual errors. Another is making big herd decisions without talking to advisers.

Review your plan and records each year before the season of greatest risk.

Check on your own health and your family's as well. Long recovery periods are stressful, and talking with others helps.

When to get help: Call your local USDA FSA office, insurance agent and lender as soon as safely possible, your veterinarian for injured animals and your state veterinarian or USDA APHIS about any suspected reportable disease.

Sources and further reading

Organization homepages are linked so you can search them for current guidance on this topic.

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