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After a Disaster: What to Do Right Now

The situation: You've just experienced a disaster — drought killed your pastures, wildfire burned your rangeland, a blizzard killed cattle, flooding destroyed fences and infrastructure. You're dealing with immediate losses and you need to know what help is available and how to access it fast.

The first 48 hours

If you haven't already:

  1. Photograph and document everything. Dead livestock (before disposal), damaged fences, burned land, destroyed infrastructure. Use your phone. Include dates. You'll need this documentation later and it's easier to capture now.

  2. Call your local FSA office. Tell them what happened and that you need to file notices of loss. If you can't reach your local office, call the national FSA hotline: 1-877-508-8364.

  3. Save every receipt from this point forward. Emergency feed, water hauling, temporary fencing, trucking, hired labor — anything you're spending because of the disaster. These are your documentation for ELAP claims.

That's the immediate priority. The rest of this walkthrough covers what programs are available and how to access them over the coming weeks.

The 30-day rule

Most disaster programs require you to file a notice of loss within 30 days of when the loss occurred (or when you became aware of it). This is a hard deadline. You can supplement your documentation later, but you cannot file a late notice. Getting the notice on record is the most time-sensitive thing.

For drought, the notice period starts when the county is designated as D2 (severe drought) or worse on the U.S. Drought Monitor. Check your county's status at droughtmonitor.unl.edu.

Programs that apply to your situation

There are at least six federal disaster programs, and most producers only know about one or two. Here's what each one covers:

LIP — Livestock Indemnity Program

What it covers: Livestock deaths caused by eligible disaster events (blizzard, wildfire, flood, earthquake, etc.) and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government (wolves).

What it pays: About 75% of the market value of the dead animal at the time of death.

What you need to do: File a notice of loss with FSA. Provide documentation of the deaths — veterinary records, photos, purchase receipts, brand inspection records. You need to prove both the number of animals lost and that the disaster caused the deaths.

ELAP — Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish

What it covers: Losses and costs that aren't covered by other disaster programs. For cattle ranchers, this typically means:

  • Costs of hauling water during drought
  • Costs of hauling feed to livestock
  • Costs of relocating livestock due to a disaster
  • Feed costs above normal due to destroyed pasture

What it pays: Varies by situation, but it's designed to cover the extra costs the disaster imposed on your operation.

What you need to do: File a notice of loss with FSA. Document every extra expense with receipts.

LFP — Livestock Forage Disaster Program

What it covers: Grazing losses due to drought (when your county reaches D2 or worse) or fire on federally managed rangeland that you have a grazing permit for.

What it pays: Monthly payments based on your normal carrying capacity and the cost of feed. Payments increase as drought severity and duration increase.

What you need to do: File with FSA. Have your grazing records available (normal stocking rate, pasture acreage). Drought designations are tracked automatically through the U.S. Drought Monitor — you don't need to prove the drought, just that it affected your operation.

ECP — Emergency Conservation Program

What it covers: Restoring farmland and conservation practices damaged by natural disasters. For ranchers, this typically means: repairing fences destroyed by fire or flood, restoring water systems, removing debris, and reseeding burned or flood-damaged pastures.

What it pays: Up to 75% of the cost to restore the damage.

What you need to do: This one is through FSA but involves an assessment of the damage. Contact FSA as soon as possible — ECP funding can run out in heavily affected areas.

EQIP — for rebuilding better

If your disaster destroyed infrastructure you were going to replace anyway, this might be the time to apply for EQIP to rebuild with improved conservation practices. New fencing, better water systems, and improved grazing infrastructure can all be funded through EQIP. The disaster creates both the need and the opportunity.

Crop Insurance / PRF

If you carry Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) insurance, file your claim through your insurance agent. PRF payouts are based on rainfall index — if your grid area received below-normal precipitation, the payout is automatic. This stacks with LFP and other disaster programs.

You can stack all of these for the same event

This is the part most producers miss. A single disaster can trigger payments from multiple programs simultaneously:

Example — Drought on a 1,000-acre cattle ranch:

  • LFP pays for lost grazing (automatic with D2+ designation)
  • ELAP reimburses extra feed and water hauling costs
  • LIP covers any livestock deaths
  • ECP helps restore damaged water systems or fences
  • PRF insurance pays out if you carry it
  • EQIP funds upgraded infrastructure as you rebuild

These are separate programs with separate applications. Filing for one doesn't trigger the others — you need to apply for each one individually.

Timeline after a disaster

When What to do
Day 1–3 Document everything. Call FSA. File notices of loss.
Week 1 Visit FSA office to complete paperwork for LIP, ELAP, LFP
Week 2 Contact NRCS about ECP for infrastructure damage
Week 2–4 Gather receipts, records, and documentation to support claims
Month 1–2 File EQIP application if you're rebuilding infrastructure
Month 2–6 Claims processed. Payments disbursed (timing varies).

What to bring to your FSA meeting

  • Photographs of all damage (dated)
  • Livestock inventory — how many animals you had before the disaster and how many you lost
  • Receipts for any emergency expenses (feed, water, trucking, fencing, labor)
  • Grazing records (normal stocking rate, pasture assignments)
  • Insurance policy information (PRF or other)
  • A list of infrastructure that was damaged or destroyed

Where to start today

  1. Call FSA now. Find your office at farmers.gov/service-locator or call 1-877-508-8364
  2. File notices of loss for LIP and ELAP within 30 days
  3. Document everything with photos and receipts
  4. Ask FSA about ECP for infrastructure damage
  5. Read the full Disaster Assistance guide when you have time
  6. Check your state page for state-level disaster assistance

This walkthrough is part of Farmer's Navigator. Disaster situations are stressful and every one is different. Your local FSA office is the best resource for your specific circumstances — this guide helps you walk in knowing what to ask for.