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Emergency Management

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Overview

The Emergency Management Division (EM) supports and prepares the Department and the New York agriculture community for disasters and emergencies that may affect them, the agricultural industry, and the citizens of the State of New York. 

The Emergency Management Division also interacts with all internal Department program divisions, and liaisons with State, county, and local agencies, in addition to a variety of industry organizations. Their work ensures  employees, supporting organizations, and community members have comprehensive plans in place to respond to and recover from disasters that effect the agricultural sector. 

Additionally, Commissioner Ball and the Emergency Management Division represent the Department as a member of the State's Disaster Preparedness Commission (DPC) and the lead coordinating agency of Emergency Support Function 11 (ESF) within the State’s Emergency Operation Center (EOC). Working with the Department’s state and federal partners, the Emergency Management Division also supports the State’s response efforts for emerging infectious foreign animal diseases, invasive plant diseases, and invasive species.

Extreme Heat Events

An extreme heat event/incident is often defined as 3 or more days with abnormally high heat exceeding 90 degrees. Many farmers and producers work outdoors without air conditioning and sometimes without much shade or cover from the sun. It is important to take preventative measures to mitigate the effects of extreme heat and keep your staff and livestock safe.

For more information about excessive heat, including additional classification terminology like advisories, watches, and warnings, visit weather.gov.

Learn more about how to deal with excessive heat events in the document below.

Agricultural Producer Damage Submission Portal

In an effort to ensure the agricultural community is recognized post disaster events and recovery efforts, this damage submission survey tool allows producers or members of the agriculture community to record damage that has occurred at their location. The survey helps track and assess damage that may be requested by local, state or federal partners in assistance to emergency declarations.

Has your Agriculture Location experienced damage? Please report it here!

Take the survey

2024 Concord Grape Crop Loss Determination

In late April 2024, the Department issued a crop loss determination to assist grape farmers impacted by the frost/freeze event in late April. The designation will allow duly licensed farm wineries to manufacture or sell wine produced from grapes grown outside of New York State.

Learn more

Emergency Disaster Milk Dumping Survey

The Emergency Disaster Event Milk Dumping Survey allows the department to collect information anonymously on milk dumping that has occurred across the state due to major emergency natural disaster events such snow storms, tropical storms, hurricanes and pandemics. Reporting emergency milk dumping operations through this survey allows our agency to collect data and coordinate with the USDA that may develop various milk loss programs for producers in New York State.

Please complete this emergency milk dumping survey if your location or company was forced to dump milk during the pandemic or recent emergency disaster events. This survey is anonymous.

Take the Survey

USDA Farm Service Agency Disaster Assistance Programs

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides disaster recovery programs to both insured and uninsured agricultural producers. Find the USDA FSA office your county. FSA offices can be used to provide more information on programs like the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP) program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP); Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), and other disaster assistance programs.

USDA Farm Service Agency Disaster Assistance Tool

The USDA disaster assistance program tool allows producers to identify the correct disaster assistance programs available to them to meet business needs. By answering only 5 questions, the tool will provide additional information on disaster programs producers may qualify for based on any type of disaster event. Link: https://www.farmers.gov/protection-recovery/disaster-tool

USDA Secretarial Disaster Designation Information

The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to designate counties as disaster areas to make emergency (EM) loans available to producers suffering losses in those counties and in counties that are contiguous to a designated county. For all other natural disaster occurrences, including drought conditions that do not trigger a Fast Track designation, the county must have a 30 percent production loss of at least one crop or a determination must be made by surveying producers that other lending institutions will not be able to provide emergency financing.

More information on the Disaster Designation Process

Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP)

ELAP provides financial assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish who have suffered losses due to disease, certain adverse weather events, or loss conditions, including blizzards and wildfires, to as determined by the U.S Secretary of Agriculture. Find out more about ELAP, including what livestock is eligible for assistance, how to apply, as well as additional information for socially disadvantaged, beginning, or veteran farmers, or those who have limited resources.

Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP)

The LFP provides eligible livestock owners and contract growers up $125,000 in payments to cover qualifying drought or grazing losses. Learn more about LFP.

Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP)

Through NAP, producers of non-insurable crops may be eligible to receive financial assistance from natural disasters that caused lower crop yields, cop loss, or prevents crop planting. This includes loss through natural disasters such as:

  • damaging weather, such as drought, freeze, hail, excessive moisture, excessive wind or hurricanes;
  • adverse natural occurrences, such as earthquake or flood; and
  • conditions related to damaging weather or adverse natural occurrences, such as excessive heat, plant disease, volcanic smog (VOG), or insect infestation.

The damaging weather or adverse natural occurrence must occur during the coverage period, before or during harvest, and must directly affect the eligible crop. Learn more about NAP eligibility.

Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)

LIP offers financial assistance to producers of eligible livestock who have had livestock die in excess of normal mortality or injured as a direct result of the following conditions:   

  • eligible adverse weather event.
  • eligible disease; and
  • eligible attack.

This LIP fact sheet provides more eligibility information, how to apply, as well as expected payment per head for 2022.

Department Emergency Management Partners

Cornell Cooperative Extension – NY Extension Disaster Education Network

Each Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) County office is a member of the New York Extension Disaster Education Network (NY EDEN) and is therefore a direct line to state-of-the-art emergency preparedness and response resources available at the nation’s Land Grant Universities through the national Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN).

NY EDEN, and its programmatic home, the CCE All-Hazards Preparedness and Response Program (APREP) partner with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets for emergency and disaster education, preparedness, and response and serves as a non-Disaster Preparedness Commission (DPC) member agency of New York State Emergency Support Function Annex of Emergency Support Function 11 – Agriculture and Natural Resources.

For real-time updates regarding an emergency, especially information regarding the agricultural sector, it is advised that you sign up for updates via the NY EDEN social media offerings (Twitter and/or Facebook).

NY EDEN Twitter – https://twitter.com/CCE_Disaster


NY EDEN Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/@CCE.NY.EDEN
 

FEMA Disaster Declaration Process and Information

In accordance with the 1988 Robert T. Stafford: Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, states may request assistance directly through the affected states Governor to the regional FEMA office. Prior to this request, state and federal officials conduct a preliminary damage assessment (PDA) to estimate the extent of the disaster and its impact on individuals and public facilities, which is included in the affected states Governors request. Based on this request, the President of the United States may declare a major disaster or emergency which activates the federal programs below to assist in response and recovery efforts.

Not all programs, however, are activated for every disaster. The determination of which programs are activated is based on the needs found during damage assessment and any subsequent information that may be discovered. FEMA/EPR disaster assistance falls into three general categories:

  • Individual Assistance — aid to individuals and households;
  • Public Assistance — aid to public (and certain private non-profit) entities for certain emergency services and the repair or replacement of disaster damaged public facilities;
  • Hazard Mitigation Assistance — funding for measures designed to reduce future losses to public and private property.

Some declarations will provide only individual assistance or only public assistance. Hazard mitigation opportunities are assessed in most situations. Find more information on the entire FEMA declaration process .

Individuals Assistance (IA)

FEMA provides financial assistance to both insured and uninsured individuals and households that have been impacted by disasters. Find more information about how to apply.

Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs)

Following a disaster, DRCs are set up in convenient areas to further assist recovery areas. DRCs help individuals through the recovery process by:

  • providing information about disaster assistance programs;
  • helping individuals apply for aid;
  • providing referrals to other agencies for assistance; and
  • helping to find housing and rental assistance.

Find a nearby DRC.

New York State Fuel New York Law (FuelNY)

In direct response to Super-storm Sandy, New York State Legislation implemented the “Alternate Generated Power Source at Retail Gasoline Outlets” or “FuelNY” law (16.192-H). FuelNY was designed to maintain the flow of motor fuel during an energy or fuel supply emergency and thus expedite a return to normalcy. The program requires strategically located gas stations in the downstate region to be equipped with a transfer switch, so they are generator ready and have a plan for deployment of a generator in the event of a declared energy emergency.

The Department's capabilities within the FuelNY program begin with enforcing the FuelNY law to gas stations within the law’s geographical threshold, by ensuring they are within FuelNY law compliance, and ends with publishing the list of gas stations in compliance of the FuelNY law below. 

An interactive map of the established FuelNY evacuation routes can be found here.

Producer Awareness for Season Events/Emergencies

Radiological Emergency Preparedness for the Agriculture Community Booklet Resource Guide

This booklet is provided to inform the agricultural community about protective actions that may need to be taken if a radiological emergency occurs at a nuclear power plant within New York, or in a neighboring state or province. This booklet also contains information on how you would be notified and what procedures you may be asked to follow.

New York State and local officials have developed emergency response plans to support and serve the agricultural community in the event of a nuclear power plant emergency. This booklet is intended for farmers, agricultural workers, livestock and poultry owners, fruit and vegetable growers, gardeners, food producers, processors, and distributors.

If you are a farmer within 50 miles of a nuclear power plant, actions may be necessary to protect food, feed, water, and livestock in the event of a nuclear power plant emergency. Following a release of radioactive gases and particles, State agencies will send teams to collect samples and conduct tests to determine if contamination occurred. If food and water become contaminated, some protective actions will be necessary. Information and instructions will be provided by local, state, and federal officials through press releases and press briefings.

Visit the DPC website here.

Additional Contacts

Get connected with the right information by contacting the resources below.