$233M Indemnity Payments: Financial Aid for People Affected by Hurricane Helene, Who Qualifies?

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack introduces new USDA compensation programs to aid farmers affected by Hurricane Helene, allowing communities eligible for financial aid through the HIP-WI endorsement.

(Credit: CNET)

$233M Indemnity Payments: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has introduced new USDA compensation programs to support farmers affected by Hurricane Helene.

Through the Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIP-WI) endorsement, communities impacted by the storm are now eligible to receive financial aid. These payments are designed to provide relief to those facing hardships due to the hurricane’s damage.

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$233M Indemnity Payments

Approved Insurance Providers (AIPs) have up to 30 days to approve and send payments to farmers, although the process usually moves faster. The USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) launched the HIP-WI program in 2020, later expanding it to include a Tropical Storm Option (TS) for added protection during severe weather.

Farmers with HIP-WI and TS coverage affected by Hurricane Helene are set to receive nearly $233 million in indemnities, helping them and their rural communities recover from the storm’s impact.

“To obtain an indemnity payment under HIP-WI, producers are not required to submit a claim,” the official website of the US Department of Agriculture states.

“In the upcoming weeks, the AIP will pay an indemnity if a county is activated. Triggered counties are listed in the county’s actuarial documentation and were identified by RMA in Product Management Bulletin 24-067.

$233M Indemnity Payments: Eligibility

To qualified producers, a HIP-WI indemnity payment will be made on top of any indemnity benefits they may be eligible to under their main crop insurance policy. The usual notification of loss and claims method is being used by AIPs to handle the underlying crop insurance policy claims quickly.

“HIP-WI covers a portion of the deductible of the underlying crop insurance policy when the county, or an adjacent one, is hit with sustained hurricane-force winds from a named hurricane based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).”

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In 2024, the USDA has distributed nearly $630 million through the HIP-WI and TS programs to cover damages from Hurricane Helene and other storms, including Hurricanes Beryl, Debby, and Francine.

Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Torres Small recently visited Georgia and South Carolina to assess relief efforts, meet with local farms, and oversee the distribution of emergency food supplies.

“Several states across the southeast experienced devastating damages from Hurricane Helene, which caused significant destruction right before the fall harvest season,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA will support farmers through the recovery process for the long haul, and this includes today’s step of making innovative types of coverage available and getting funds into the hands of producers quickly.”