Thinking of Our MLA Members Affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton

Submitted by: Brenda Linares

Dear MLA Members, especially those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton,

I have heard from our friends and colleagues and have seen in the news the damage that both Helene and Milton have caused in the Southeastern states of the United States (Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, West Virginia, Alabama, and Kentucky).

I know that these disasters affect your lives both inside and outside of work. I cannot imagine the challenges that you must be facing at this time.

Your friends, colleagues, and MLA as a whole, are thinking of you and telling you to stay strong and positive.

Please reach out if there is anything that I or MLA can do to aid with resources or support, and if we can help publicize fundraising efforts.

Here are some key resources you may find helpful:

• A list of resources and information for Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton respectively.
• Emergency and Disaster Resources from the Network of the National Library of Medicine: If you would like to learn more about emergency preparedness resources, or explore training opportunities that are available through NNLM, contact our colleagues in your region for more information.
• USDA Disaster Resource Center provides information on how to prepare, recover and build long-term resilience during disasters and emergencies.
• USDA Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool: Learn about USDA disaster assistance programs that might be right for you by completing five simple steps.
  • USDA Disaster Assistance Programs include:
    • Tree Assistance Program (TAP), Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP), Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), and Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) help compensate producers for losses caused by natural disasters.
    • Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) help producers with restoring fences, damaged farmland, or forests.
    • Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program provides assistance to communities to address watershed impairments or hazards.
  • Farm Service Agency – Disaster Assistance: USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers a variety of programs to help farmers, ranchers, communities, and businesses that have been hard hit by natural disaster events.
  • Natural Resources Conservation Service- Disaster Recovery Assistance: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides disaster recovery assistance to farmers, ranchers, landowners, and communities through a variety of USDA programs.
    • Guide: USDA Disaster Assistance Programs Brochure. Learn more about USDA Farm Production & Conservation’s disaster assistance programs for farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners.

Translated Guides are linked below:

• Kev Pab Kev Puas Tsuaj Programs Rau Ntawm Ib Lub Kas Tham Ntim (Disaster Assistance Programs Brochure in Hmong)
• 재난지원프로그램요약 (Disaster Assistance Programs Brochure in Korean)
• ਿਬਪਤਾ ਸਹਾਇਤਾ ਪੋ ਗਰਾਮ ‘ਤੇ ਇੱ ਕ ਨਜ਼ਰ (Disaster Assistance Programs Brochure in Punjabi)
• Un Vistazo A Los Programas De Asistencia Por Desastre (Disaster Assistance Programs Brochure in Spanish)
• Sơ Lược Chương Trình Hỗ Trợ Thảm Họa (Disaster Assistance Programs Brochure in Vietnamese)
• Rural Development Disaster Assistance: USDA Rural Development (RD) 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.
  • Guide: USDA Rural Development Toolkit – Disaster Resiliency and Recovery Resources for Rural Communities. Learn more about USDA Rural Development’s disaster assistance programs for rural communities.
  • Translated toolkit: Desarrollo Rural del USDA Recursos de resistencia y recuperación en caso de desastres Una guía para las comunidades rurales (Disaster Recovery Toolkit in Spanish)
• Food & Nutrition Service (FNS) – Disaster Assistance: coordinates with state, territory, tribal, and voluntary organizations to provide nutrition assistance to families and individuals affected by a disaster or emergency.
  • Guide: D-SNAP Resources for State Agencies and Partners – The following resources are meant to assist states in planning, operating, and reporting Disaster SNAPs (D-SNAPs). Many of these documents are also available in the Disaster SNAP Guidance Handbook and the D-SNAP Toolkit. States should work with their regional disaster coordinators, which can be found on the following FNS regional office page. USDA FNS Southeast Regional Office (SERO)

On behalf of all of us at MLA, know that you are not alone and that we are here if there is anything we can do to help and support you.

Sincerely,