WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $60,900,000 in federal funding to help farmers in Virginia recover from Hurricane Helene. This funding, awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, will be distributed to farmers to help repair and cover infrastructure, timber, and market losses from Hurricane Helene. The funding was included in the disaster relief package that the senators pushed to pass last December.
“Hurricane Helene was devastating to many in Virginia, and it’s critical that we help our farmers get back on their feet as quickly as possible,” said the senators. ”We’re glad this funding will provide needed support to farmers in rural Virginia. We will continue to do all we can to help every Virginian recover.”
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Warner and Kaine were vocal advocates for significant federal resources to support Virginia’s recovery, and both senators met with Virginians impacted by Hurricane Helene in Southwest Virginia. This March, Warner and Kaine joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins urging the USDA to quickly publish clear guidelines on administering disaster relief aid to farmers following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Immediately following the hurricanes, Warner and Kaine successfully urged the Biden Administration to submit a supplemental funding request to cover the costs associated with Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
###