ATLANTA, Ga. (WALB) - Georgia farmers and ranch hands whose told were damaged by Hurricane Helene or Tropical Storm Debby may be eligible for FEMA assistance.

Farmers and ranch hands who may have suffered damage between Aug. 4-20 may be eligible for assistance to replace disaster-damaged essential tools, supplies, equipment, and items required for employment or for self-employment.

The following equipment available for coverage may include, but are not limited to:

• tractors
• plows
• seeders or planters
• harvesters
• sprayers
• hay balers
• utility vehicles

These items are available for assistance if you can show that they were damaged by the disaster, the applicant does not have another working them that can meet this need, and the loss of the item was not covered by insurance, according to FEMA.

Crops and livestock are not “tools and equipment” because they are the products of a farming operation, whereas tools and equipment are the means of production.

Ranch hands may be eligible for assistance to replace disaster-damaged tools and equipment not covered by insurance when they can show these items are required by their employer.

Assistance is based on a need to replace disaster-damaged essential tools, supplies, equipment, and items required by an employer as a condition of employment or required for education. This includes disaster-damaged tools and equipment, or other items required for a specific trade or profession that are not provided or supplied by the employer, including a computer.

Here is how you can apply for FEMA Individual Assistance:

• Visit a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center. To find your nearest Disaster Recovery Center, visit fema.gov/drc.
• Call FEMA at 800-621-3362. Multilingual operators are available. If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA your number for that service.
• Apply at DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Download and use the FEMA app.

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