Memphis Standard

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn and U.S. Representative John Rose, along with the entire Tennessee Congressional Delegation, have called for urgent disaster relief for Tennessee farmers affected by Hurricane Helene. The delegation has sent a letter to U.S. House and Senate leaders urging them to provide meaningful assistance in the coming weeks.

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm and is expected to be one of the deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history. While assessments are still ongoing, the impact on Tennessee farmers has been severe.

The letter from the Tennessee Delegation outlines the damage caused by heavy rainfall and runoff from neighboring states, which resulted in destroyed crops, flooded pastures, equipment loss, and distressed livestock. The delegation emphasized that federal agricultural disaster assistance is crucial for helping farmers recover.

“In Tennessee, some areas received nearly 10 – 15 inches of rainfall in addition to runoff from surrounding states, drowning crops and littering fields with debris," wrote the Tennessee Delegation. "Ruined ready-to-harvest crops and forage, flooded pastures, equipment loss, and distressed livestock have left farmers questioning how their operations will move forward and how they will provide for their families.”

The letter was also signed by Senator Bill Hagerty and Representatives Diana Harshbarger, Tim Burchett, Chuck Fleischmann, Scott DesJarlais, Andy Ogles, Mark Green, David Kustoff, and Steve Cohen.