Presidential disaster declarations have already been issued for Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. Producers in these states can now apply for USDA emergency loans and other aid. Georgia and eastern Tennessee have also witnessed significant damage. Parts of North Carolina experienced up to 29 inches of rain.

Early estimates from Moody’s Analytics place the storm damage in excess of $15 billion across the region. Flooding has been damaging to both crops and livestock. Georgia Agricultural Commissioner Tyler Harper reports flattened poultry houses and row crops as well as dairies and poultry houses without power. He encouraged farmers to document the damage with photos.

Georgia officials admit the full scope of the damage is unknown. Initial indications suggest Helene caused more agricultural damage than Hurricane Michael in 2018.

Read more about the agricultural damage from Hurricane Helene here.