Western Washington is a land of rivers and our rural communities are no strangers to winter floods. The floods caused by this year’s historic twin atmospheric river event, however, has severely impacted our farmers and rural communities. The people who work to feed our region and dedicate themselves to stewarding our local food system will continue to feel this event long after the rivers draw back. Communities from across King County and our greater region will have to come together in the wake of the flood to support our local farmers, food producers, and rural community members who have been affected.
KCD’s Farm Team is here to serve our rural communities and food producers through technical support. They have compiled a list of flood recovery resources, including disaster assistance programs for farmers:
Find and shop at your local farmers market through The Washington Food & Farm Finder Find Local Food!
King County Resources:
How to help: donations and volunteering
Additional Recovery Resources:
Clean Up Needs Survey—Snoqualmie Valley Preservation Alliance
Donate for Relief Fund—Snoqualmie Valley Preservation Alliance
Emergency Housing and Relief Resources—WA 211
Emergency Watershed Protection Program—Natural Resource Conservation Service
Financial Relief and Recovery—WA Dept. of Financial Institutions
Find Shelter—American Red Cross
How to Apply for FEMA Disaster Assistance
FEMA—Apply for Disaster Assistance
Department of Health Tips:
For Farmers, from USDA Farm Service Agency:
- Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) – provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters including excessive wind and qualifying drought (includes native grass for grazing).
- Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) – offers payments to eligible producers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather.
- Tree Assistance Program (TAP) – provides assistance to eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers for qualifying tree, shrub and vine losses due to natural disaster
- Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) – provides emergency relief for losses due to feed or water shortages, disease, adverse weather, or other conditions, which are not adequately addressed by other disaster programs.
- Emergency Loan Program – available to producers with agriculture operations located in a county under a primary or contiguous Secretarial Disaster designation. These low interest loans help producers recover from production and physical losses due to flooding.
- Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) – provides emergency funding for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate land severely damaged by natural disasters; includes fence loss.
How to document flood losses to the USDA:
If you’ve suffered excessive livestock death losses and grazing or feed losses due to recent floods, you may be eligible for disaster assistance programs through the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA).
The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) offers payments to you for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides emergency relief for losses due to feed or water shortages, disease, adverse weather, or other conditions, which are not adequately addressed by other disaster programs.
To participate in LIP, you will be required to provide verifiable documentation of death losses resulting from an eligible adverse weather event, and you must complete and submit the notice of loss to FSA no later than the annual program payment application date, which is March 2, 2026, for calendar year 2025 losses. To participate in ELAP, you must submit a notice of loss to your local FSA office no later than March 2, 2026, for calendar year 2025 losses. and should maintain documentation and receipts.
You should record all pertinent information regarding livestock losses due to the eligible adverse weather or loss condition, including:
- Documentation of the number, kind, type, and weight range of livestock that have died, supplemented if possible by photographs or video records of ownership and losses;
- Rendering truck receipts by kind, type and weight – important to document prior to disposal;
- Beginning inventory supported by birth recordings or purchase receipts;
- Documentation from Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Department of Natural Resources, or other sources to substantiate eligible death losses due to an eligible loss condition;
- Documentation that livestock were removed from grazing pastures due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition;
- Costs of transporting livestock feed to eligible livestock, such as receipts for equipment rental fees for hay lifts and snow removal;
- Feed purchase receipts if feed supplies or grazing pastures are destroyed
Locate your local USDA Service Center