The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently urged farmers to prepare for the 2025 hurricane season, which began June 1, and offered the following suggestions.
- Develop an emergency plan. Make sure your employees and members of your household know your plan, including meeting points, emergency contact lists and alternate evacuation routes in case of infrastructure damage.
- Remove debris and secure large objects. Most injuries to animals, people or structures during a hurricane are caused by flying objects. To lessen the risk, minimize the presence of equipment, supplies and debris that may become airborne during high winds or encountered in floodwaters. Clean out culverts, ditches and other drainage areas, especially before and during peak hurricane season to reduce water damage.
- Document inventory and secure important records. It is critical to document inventory of farm buildings, vehicles, equipment and livestock before a disaster occurs. Take photos or videos or make written lists with descriptions. Gathering documentation before and after a storm is important for insurance compensation and recovery assistance. You’ll likely need thorough records of any damage and losses sustained on your farm as well as documentation of your cleanup and recovery efforts. Keep copies of these records in multiple places — a computer, off-site in a safe location and on a cloud-based server.
- Know your insurance options. Regularly review your insurance policies with your agent to be sure you have adequate coverage — including flood insurance — for your facilities, vehicles, farm buildings, equipment, and crops. Note that there are limitations on how soon insurance coverage will take effect. Generally, insurance policies will not cover damage if the policy was not in place before a disaster.
- Gather supplies. Have drinking water, canned food, a generator, batteries, a flashlight and fuel available in case you lose power. Have cash on hand in case of widespread outages when credit and debit cards may not work.
- Access real-time emergency information: Download the FEMA app for free on the App Store and Google Play for safety tips on what to do before, during and after disasters.
In addition to the above tips, USDA offered information about its disaster assistance programs, crop insurance and other programs. Learn more here.
Source: USDA
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