More than $38 million approved to help East Tennessee farmers recover from Hurricane Helene: USDA

WASHINGTON (WVLT) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, is providing an additional $38.1 million to help East Tennessee farmers affected by Hurricane Helene last year.

Announced by U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen A. Vaden, the block grant agreement with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) will provide recovery assistance to eligible Tennessee farmers.

Under the agreement, TDA will receive $38.1 million for a program that will cover infrastructure and timber losses “in addition to future economic losses and market losses,” according to the USDA.

“America’s farmers and ranchers across the southeast and in Tennessee have been hit hard and suffered significant economic losses during 2024. USDA has worked closely with the State of Tennessee to guarantee those impacted have the relief they need,” said Deputy Secretary Vaden.

The TDA said this will cover qualifying agricultural and timber losses caused by Hurricane Helene that were not addressed by other USDA disaster programs or covered by insurance.

Eligible farmers must live in the following counties:

• Carter
• Cocke
• Greene
• Hamblen
• Hawkins
• Johnson
• Unicoi
• Washington

Affected farmers must apply for the grant, with a maximum award of up to 90% of verified losses, depending on available funding and the number of applications received.

The TDA said eligible agricultural losses fall under the following categories:

• Infrastructure Loss - physical structures and equipment
• Future Economic Loss - long‑term production recovery
• Market Loss - lost sales due to market disruption
• Farm Production Loss - loss of crops

The funding is part of the $30 billion disaster assistance relief authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025.

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