USDA Rural Development Disaster Assistance

The USDA Rural Development Disaster Assistance is crucial for rural communities affected by crises and disasters. It offers essential support to homeowners, businesses, and communities to aid in their recovery and rebuilding process. If you are facing immediate needs due to a disaster and live in a President-declared disaster area, we recommend first seeking assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The resource guide provides information on programs and services offered by RD and other government agencies. It aims to support rural residents, businesses, and communities impacted by disasters by helping them with long-term recovery and planning efforts. 

We Care Letters are generated for RD Home loan borrowers when a major disaster occurs in a state. We want you to know that USDA Rural Development is here to help you when a disaster happens and causes damage to your property or affects your income. Our aim is to make sure you are aware of the assistance we can provide during these difficult times.

For more information, individuals can review the USDA's Rural Development’s Disaster Resiliency and Recovery Resources Guide for Rural Communities. USDA RD offers more than 40 loan, grant, and technical assistance programs and servicing options that can help rural residents, businesses, and communities impacted by disaster, and support long-term planning and recovery efforts that build for the future.

USDA RD has more than 40 loan, grant, and technical assistance programs available to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural America . Many of these programs can also help community efforts related to disaster preparedness, resiliency, and recovery . USDA RD partners with local leaders, developers, local, state, and Tribal governments, cooperatives, nonprofits, private organizations and a nationwide network of participating lenders to help build resiliency through planning and preparedness, and to help rural people and communities suffering the effects of disasters.

USDA RD programs support a variety of needs including:

• Transitional Housing and Home Repair
• Infrastructure and Emergency Equipment Financing
• Essential Community Facilities
• Telehealth, Distance Learning and Rural Broadband Connectivity
• Rural Business Planning and Recovery

Learn about general eligibility for USDA’s disaster assistance programs: Disaster-Assistance-at-a-Glance Fact Sheet

Contact: 

Nenita E. Acob

Area Specialist
Maui Satellite Office, Rural Development
United States Department of Agriculture
Phone:  (808) 214-1733 / Fax:  (855) 878-2464
‍www.rd.usda.gov

We Care Letters
Help for Rural Americans (usda.gov)

Publications | Rural Development (usda.gov)