When Hurricane Helene ripped through Georgia in 2024, the state's economy suffered a $5.5 billion loss in agriculture and timber, according to the University of Georgia.
Costs for replanting, replacing damaged equipment, and rebuilding infrastructure totaled almost $900 million.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's natural disaster relief programs were only able to cover some of that expense, leaving some farmers with little money and few options to rebuild their lives and farms.
These programs also, notably, don't cover infrastructure repairs to irrigation systems and the replanting of certain crops many Georgia farmers heavily rely on, like pecans.
The Hurricane Helene Block Grant program was created to fill these gaps and help impacted farmers and forestry workers get back on their feet over a year after the hurricane.
In an X post celebrating the start of the program, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper wrote, "When we saw the devastation from Hurricane Helene firsthand, we knew immediately our industry would face a years' long recovery process."
When we saw the devastation from Hurricane Helene firsthand, we knew immediately our industry would face a years’ long recovery process.
More than $531,000,000 in relief is available through Georgia’s Hurricane Helene Block Grant Program which is open now for impacted farmers.… pic.twitter.com/gWQtN8iwa0
— Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper (@AgCommHarperGA) March 25, 2026
The relief package is part of a nationwide series of bills, with the USDA at the helm, rolled out individually in several states that continue to feel the effects of Helene, like Florida and North Carolina. Georgia, alone, was allocated over $5.3 million to provide some relief for losses not covered under the pre-existing USDA program.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins attributed delays in relief funding to the complex logisitical nature of these state-by-state rollouts of grant programs.
Applications opened to eligible farmers March 16 and are set to close April 27.
The grant's website specified eligibility requirements for applicants.
"Georgia farmers, ranchers and foresters in eligible counties that have suffered losses in timber, infrastructure, poultry, beef cattle, dairy cattle, milk loss, dairy feed loss, pecans, blueberries, citrus, nursery, plasticulture and bare ground practices due to Hurricane Helene may apply for assistance to the Georgia Department of Agriculture," the website states.
