USDA Also Continues Commitment in Regions Affected by Hurricane Gustav

Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer today said USDA's many agencies have deployed personnel and resources to federal, state and local authorities in preparation of landfall for Hanna as either tropical storm or hurricane, as well as the approach of Hurricane Ike.

"Our prayers and concerns remain with all who have suffered from Hurricane Gustav and for those in the paths of the oncoming storms," said Schafer. "As the winds and rains of Hanna approach, USDA has readied food, emergency housing and other resources for the Atlantic Coast. Even as we prepare for Hanna and track the movement of Ike, USDA continues our Gulf Coast commitment to the immediate and long-term needs of communities that were hurt by Hurricane Gustav."

In Louisiana and Texas, USDA Forest Service incident management teams are working within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with response and recovery efforts from Hurricane Gustav. USDA also has staged incident management teams in Atlanta, Ga. to deploy nearby once Hanna makes landfall. USDA Forest Service emergency response managers and planners at work with FEMA officials in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia are coordinating response efforts to Hanna this weekend and the potential impacts from Hurricane Ike next week.

Along the Gulf coast, USDA commodities are being made available to shelters in affected States as well as those hosting evacuees. Meanwhile, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service has pre-positioned food supplies and is ready to respond with additional commodities based on assessment of states along the East Coast.

USDA's Rural Development emergency response manager works closely with FEMA officials in Washington, D.C. and will be coordinating response and recovery efforts for potential impacts from Hurricane Hanna and Hurricane Ike next week.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service of USDA is providing critical food safety information to state and local agencies, consumers and the media through consumer alerts and food safety public service announcements (PSAs) in English and Spanish, and videocasts in American Sign Language. PSAs are being sent to media in Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia about preventing foodborne illness due to power outages. Alerts, videocasts and PSAs are available on the Web. The SignFSIS video-casts in American Sign Language featuring text-captioning are available on the Web at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/SignFSIS/index.asp.

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is helping the National Animal Rescue and Shelter Coalition find additional pet carriers and food for evacuations. USDA also is ensuring that conditions in animal shelters are suitable as well as evacuation locations, pickup points and animal shelter locations.

USDA response efforts continue in Hurricane Gustav's aftermath:

Farmer and Rancher Assistance

Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas State and County Emergency Boards, chaired by the USDA Farm Service Agency, are reviewing the storm's impact on crops. Emergency loan and cost-share assistance is available to agricultural producers through the Farm Service Agency Emergency low-interest EM loans for crop and livestock production and physical losses in counties declared under a Presidential (FEMA) declaration or Secretarial disaster designation.

Assistance also is available through the Farm Service Agency Emergency Conservation Program funds. Signup will be held where authorized by FSA State Committees and processed subject to available funding.