FSA counts losses caused by storms
By Janet Kubat Willette
jkubat@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 07/15/2010 4:07 PM
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FREEBORN COUNTY, Minn. — A yellow dead end sign is propped against a tree standing battered and naked in the middle of Dave Ausen's farmstead.
A skidloader drives past and a chainsaw buzzes behind the old granary. The barn's been reduced to a one story pile of rubble and blue tarps cover the roof on the house. The standing grain bins look like they've been punched. The sheds are gone.
In all, 153 Freeborn County homes sustained damage on June 17 when four tornadoes tore through the county, according a report from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
The National Weather Service confirmed that 18 tornadoes touched down that evening, bringing the most severe damage to the cities and townships of Almora, Wadena, Mentor, Kiester, Winsted, Bricelyn, Walters, Manchester, Albert Lea, Ellendale, Steele Center, Hope and Claremont, the public safety report said.
Clean up is well underway in Freeborn County, aided by volunteers but hampered by at least two other storm events the following week.
Ausen refers to them as storms A, B and C.
Lee Crawford, Freeborn County Farm Service Agency county executive director, was out documenting the storm the day after it happened and again last week. He will submit the information to the state office, which in turn will submit the information to USDA headquarters in Washington.
He said 200 farmsteads were damaged or destroyed in the county, causing a loss of at least $100 million.
Data from 14 counties was being compiled last week, due to be submitted to Washington by the close of business on July 2, said Jeff Bloomquist, FSA geographic information specialist. The data submitted was only from the June 17 storms.
An administrator's physical loss request will be filed, which opens up low interest loans for those participating in FSA programs, Bloomquist said. The loans are strictly for repairing structure damage.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty has also submitted a request President Obama requesting a major disaster declaration for not only the June 17 storm, but for the storms that occurred from June 17 through June 26.
The FSA will submit an additional report detailing the damage in storms from June 18-26.
Bloomquist encourages farmers who incurred damages as a result of any of the storms to contact their county Farm Service Agency. Those reports help determine whether or not a disaster declaration will be triggered.
In Freeborn County, Crawford and his staff are busy helping farmers who have had their farmsteads damaged or destroyed. They are learning new acronyms like LIP, Livestock Indemnity program, and ELAP, Emergency Livestock Assistance Program.
Amid the turmoil caused by the storm, they are certifying acres and collecting production evidence, which is due July 15.
"There have been people in this county who have lost everything and they've been in to certify," Crawford said. "To me, Freeborn County producers are the gold standard."
Back at the Ausen place, Crawford talks to Ausen about FSA programs available to help producers after a disaster.
Ausen plans to rebuild, ordering a new shop and new bin on June 29.
"It sure looks pretty bad right now," he said. "Hopefully, it's the worst it looks."