Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeastern United States

Southern Research Station

FOREST SERVICE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

October 2021General Technical Report SRS-260i

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery

in the Southeastern United States

Finfish Producers Guide

AUTHORS:

Todd D. Sink

, Aquaculture Extension Specialist, Texas

A&M AgriLife Extension, College Station, TX 77843.

C. Greg Lutz

, Aquaculture Extension Specialist,

Louisiana State University AgCenter, Aquaculture

Research Station, Baton Rouge, LA 70820.

Gary J. Burtle

, Extension Aquaculture Specialist,

University of Georgia, Tifton, GA 31794.

EDITORS:

Steven McNulty

, Director, USDA Southeast Climate Hub,

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.

Michael Gavazzi

, Coordinator, USDA Southeast Climate

Hub, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.

This is 1 of 23 guides to help Southeastern U.S. producers of

economically important agricultural commodities build resilience

to, prepare for, and recover from hurricane impacts. All guides can

be found on the USDA Southeast Climate Hub Hurricane Preparation

and Recovery Commodity Guides website.

Disclaimer:

This guide contains a compilation of information from multiple coastal States in the Southeastern

United States. Therefore, some of the links and resources may not be relevant or even appropriate for your location.

Information in this document was provided by USDA and various university Extension sta and based on shared

experiences preparing for and recovering from hurricane impacts; however, individual producer situations will vary.

This guidance should not be interpreted as required actions by regulatory or insurance agencies. STATE OR LOCAL

GUIDANCE/REGULATIONS AND INSURANCE POLICIES SUPERCEDE THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS GUIDE. Check

with your local Extension agent; county, State, or Federal contact; consultant; or insurance agent regarding the

appropriateness of these recommendations to your specific situation.

Pesticide Statement:

Pesticides used improperly can be injurious to humans, animals, and plants. Follow the

directions and heed all precautions on the labels.

Apply pesticides so that they do not endanger humans, livestock, crops, beneficial insects, fish, and wildlife. Do not

apply pesticides when there is danger of drift, when honey bees or other pollinating insects are visiting plants, or in

ways that may contaminate water or leave illegal residues.

Note:

Some States have restrictions on the use of certain pesticides. Check your State and local regulations. Also,

because registrations of pesticides are under constant review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, consult

your county agricultural agent or State Extension specialist to be sure the intended use is still registered.

Photos:

COVER: USDA photo. PAGE 1: Courtesy photo by Dr. Todd Sink, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.

Acknowledgments: The USDA Ofﬁce of the Chief Economist and

USDA Forest Service Ofﬁce of Sustainability and Climate provided

partial funding for the development of this guide. Special thanks to

Karin Matchett and Elijah Worley for technical editing, and the USDA

Farm Service Agency for reviewing and commenting on the Disaster

Assistance Programs.

October 2021

https://doi.org/10.2737/SRS-GTR-260i

Southeast Climate Hub

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Research & Development

Southern Research Station

General Technical Report SRS-260i

Southern Research Station

200 W.T. Weaver Blvd.

Asheville, NC 28804

www.srs.fs.usda.gov

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery

in the Southeastern United States

Finfish Producers Guide

This guide will focus on:

●

Day-to-day and long- and short-term recommendations

for building resilience to hurricanes in pond-based

aquaculture

●

Key response considerations during and following

hurricanes for pond aquaculture producers

Contents

Introduction 1

section 1

Building a Resilient Operation 3

Personal safety 3

Recordkeeping, documentation, and insurance 3

Infrastructure 4

Emergency planning 9

section 2

Long-Term Operation Maintenance 13

Prior to hurricane season 13

Monthly considerations during hurricane season 15

section 3

Short-Term Preparedness 18

1–7 days before a hurricane is forecast to strike 18

1 day before the hurricane strikes 22

section 4

Post-Hurricane Recovery 23

Immediately after the hurricane has passed 23

Within a week following hurricane impacts 25

Within a month after hurricane impacts 29

Appendix 31

Farm Emergency Plan 31

Before the hurricane 31

Immediately after the hurricane 34

Emergency Contacts List 35

Initial Site Planning 38

Hurricane risk 38

Infrastructure 40

Resource Links 41

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

Introduction

Preparing for and recovering from hurricane events

People who live and work in the Southeastern United States are unfortunately

familiar with the devastation and loss of life and property that can accompany a

hurricane event. While hurricanes have always been a threat to the Southeast, with

an average of over two strikes per year since 1900, the threat posed by hurricanes

is growing. Recent studies suggest that as ocean temperatures continue to rise,

hurricane intensity is increasing. Hurricanes of the future will likely be slower

moving, higher category hurricanes that produce destructive winds and ﬂooding.

To help producers remain resilient and productive in the face of this threat, the U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA) Southeast Climate Hub developed this guide

containing steps that can be taken to prepare for and recover from hurricane events.

This manual is separated into four primary sections:

●

The Building a Resilient Operation section outlines a range of considerations

and systems that producers can put in place to increase their resilience to

hurricanes.

●

The Long-Term Operation Maintenance section lists speciﬁc pre-hurricane

actions and periodic checks to be done on an annual basis (before hurricane

season) and monthly basis (during hurricane season).

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

Introduction

●

The Short-Term Preparedness section lists speciﬁc actions to be done in the week

before a hurricane arrives.

●

The Post-Hurricane Recovery section outlines activities that producers can

take to minimize their losses following a hurricane. It begins with actions

immediately following a hurricane that are focused on safety and continues

with ongoing actions a week out and a month out.

The guide also includes an Appendix with two customizable templates for a Farm

Emergency Plan and an Emergency Contacts List. Directions on what to include in

these two documents are outlined in the Building a Resilient Operation section.

Their use is described in the Short-Term Preparedness section. Both the plan and

list should be periodically reviewed, as mentioned in the Long-Term Operation

Maintenance section. The appendix also includes an Initial Site Planning guide

that can be referenced if purchasing or leasing new land, and Resource Links to

helpful Federal, State, and Extension websites that are also referenced throughout

the guide.

The ﬂowchart below shows the layout of this guide and how it is intended to be

used. Note that after recovering from a hurricane, producers should start back

at the Building a Resilient Operation section, and incorporate guidance and any

lessons learned into their operational and emergency management plans

Layout and use of the hurricane preparation and recovery guide.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 1: Building a Resilient Operation

section 1

Building a Resilient Operation

Systems that are recommended to be put in place well before

the arrival of any hurricane to increase productivity

and reduce your risk of damage and reduce recovery time

Agricultural operations in the Southeastern United States can implement a range of

measures to increase their resilience to hurricanes and tropical storms. Contact your

local Extension ofﬁce and other State and Federal resources for further information.

Personal safety

For safety tips and resources that facilitate informed decision making before,

during, and after a hurricane strikes, see the Ready.gov Hurricanes website and the

U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA) Hurricane Safety Tips and Resources website.

Recordkeeping, documentation, and insurance

●

The importance of pre- and post-hurricane documentation cannot be overstated.

Assistance for disaster recovery may not be available until weeks or months after

a hurricane. Therefore, it is important for purposes of insurance compensation

and recovery assistance to do thorough recordkeeping of the damages and losses

sustained on your farm as well as your cleanup and recovery efforts.

●

Aquaculture is not a federally insured crop. Each producer must obtain their

own aquaculture crop insurance through private insurance companies.

●

The worst time to ﬁnd out that you do not have enough insurance, or the right

insurance, to cover your damages is when you need help recovering. Regularly

review your insurance policies with your agent to be sure you have adequate

coverage, including ﬂood insurance, for your facilities, vehicles, farm buildings

and other structures, and crops.

●

Conduct a risk assessment to determine whether crop insurance ﬁts into your

farm’s ﬁnances and operations. Given your risk, is it worth the money? It can be

difﬁcult to get compensated for hurricane losses if damages were not directly

related to the hurricane.

●

Be aware that there are limitations on how soon insurance coverage will take

effect. Generally, insurance policies will not cover damage if the policy was not

in place before a hurricane has formed.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 1: Building a Resilient Operation

●

Establish an inventory system so that you know exactly what’s on your farm

at all times for potential insurance claims and disaster recovery assistance. It is

critical to have a documented inventory (photos, videos, and written lists and

descriptions) of your farm buildings, vehicles, and valuable equipment on your

farm before a disaster occurs.

●

Take these records with you when evacuating for a hurricane:

▬

Inventories and documentation for insurance and disaster recovery purposes

▬

Farm Emergency Plan

▬

Emergency Contacts List

●

To learn more about ﬂood insurance options for qualifying home and

business owners, see the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal

Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Program website.

Infrastructure

Facilities

●

Locate all hatcheries, shop facilities, equipment buildings, and feed storage

facilities on higher elevation ground or on elevated pads. In some cases, such as

feed storage facilities, buildings may need to be constructed on elevated pylons

to prevent stored materials from becoming wet.

●

Consult topography and ﬂood maps when building new facilities to identify

sites that are less prone to ﬂooding and easily accessible. Farm roads to those

buildings should have trenches for better water drainage.

●

Locate buildings above the 100-year ﬂood zone whenever possible and construct

all buildings and structures to a minimum wind rating of 120 mile per hour

(mph), preferably 180 mph. Reinforce building structures and use hurricane

straps in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

●

For more guidance on protecting farm structures and buildings from winds

and ﬂooding, see the FEMA Compilation of Wind-resistant Provisions, Design

Guide for Improving Critical Facility Safety from Flooding and High Winds, and

Terminology Index website.

Power and backup power

Circuit breakers

●

Know the location of your main circuit breaker and breaker box. The box is

generally located inside of buildings, but additional breakers may be located

outside.

●

Ensure that the breakers, including the main breaker, are correctly labeled.

Correct labeling will help you ensure power is cut to the appropriate appliances

or to the entire building.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 1: Building a Resilient Operation

Backup power

●

Create a Backup Power Plan and store with your Farm Emergency Plan (see

“Emergency planning” below).

●

Install gas or diesel backup generators to operate critical buildings such as

hatcheries and broodstock facilities and to power supplemental aeration

equipment for ponds and tanks if necessary. Generators and fuel storage tanks

must all be elevated or otherwise protected from ﬂooding.

●

Check local, county, and State codes for any requirements to supply backup

power during short-term emergencies.

●

Post the operating procedures near each generator. Consult your owner’s manual

for speciﬁc safety, maintenance, and operational recommendations.

●

For more information about options for powering your aquaculture operation,

see the USDA Southern Regional Aquaculture Center (SRAC) Powering

Aquaculture Equipment.

Roads

●

Make sure that your major roadways are able to drain. Elevated roadways might

help you to gain quick access to the farm after ﬂooding.

●

Levees that carry access roads are typically constructed with a minimum width

of 16 feet, but 20 feet is desirable for heavy truck trafﬁc. Gravel at least 4 inches

thick can improve access during wet weather. For more information about levee

considerations, see the USDA SRAC Construction of Levee-Type Ponds for Fish

Production.

●

Road-bearing levees may need 5:1 slopes to reduce effects of erosion. Increasing

freeboard to 3 feet above water level will improve levee stability during periods

of soil saturation.

●

The primary driveway into the farm should have adequate drainage to prevent

ﬂooding. The road should be well packed with a solid base that will hold up to

heavy equipment and trucks during extreme conditions. For more information

on maintaining unpaved roads, see the USDA Environmentally Sensitive Road

Maintenance Practices for Dirt and Gravel Roads.

●

If you do not have a secondary entrance to your farm, construct one if possible

to provide alternative access from a different road in the event the primary

entrance is blocked.

●

If the facility is in a location where all roads leading in and out may ﬂood,

purchase or make arrangements to rent or borrow a boat that can safely navigate

the ﬂoodwaters to gain faster post-hurricane access to your property.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 1: Building a Resilient Operation

Aquaculture ponds

●

Exterior (or perimeter) pond levees and drain pipes should be 20 inches above

the historic high ﬂood level.

●

Increase the normal recommended capacity of ponds and main drain lines by 40

percent or more when constructing aquaculture facilities in areas that could be

impacted by hurricanes. Recommended standard pond drain lines are 10 inches

in diameter, so 14-inch-diameter drain lines are recommended in areas prone to

be affected by heavy rainfall or storm surge from hurricanes.

●

To learn more about constructing levee-type ponds, view the USDA SRAC

Construction of Levee-Type Ponds for Fish Production and Construction of

Levee Ponds for Commercial Catﬁsh Production.

Levees

●

Construct levees surrounding the farm and/or pond complex in areas that

would potentially ﬂood if a nearby water body rose beyond the established ﬂood

stage. Levees should be constructed a minimum of 24 inches above the highest

recorded ﬂood stage for the property.

●

Establish higher elevation areas (at or above the 50-year ﬂood elevation) at

designated levee junctions throughout the farm, with one elevated area for every

200 to 300 acres.

●

Install main drain valves or shut-offs in leveed complexes to prevent ﬂoodwater

intrusion from surrounding high water.

●

Ensure that all pump stations are sufﬁciently elevated, at or above facility

external levee height, or otherwise protected from ﬂooding and have a protected

gas or diesel backup operating system in case of prolonged power outages.

●

Have an alternate drain line running above the levee elevation so that water

from heavy rains can be physically pumped out of the leveed complex during

a ﬂood. The goal is to be able to release water from ponds while avoiding water

entering the facility from outside the levees. Install pump stations inside levee

complexes to remove water that normal drainage features cannot keep up with

during heavy rains. Even non-leveed complexes may require pump stations to

maintain adequate pond and facility drainage during heavy rains associated

with hurricanes. For more information about using pumps for ﬂood protection

and drainage systems, view:

▬

Louisiana State University AgCenter Using Pumps in Flood Protection website

▬

University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS)

Extension Pumps for Florida Irrigation and Drainage Systems

●

Vegetation of levees with rye grass (Lolium spp.), bermudagrass (Cynodon

dactylon), or centipede grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) has been recommended.

Mulching with 100 pounds of straw or bermudagrass hay per 1,000 square feet

will reduce erosion during vegetation establishment.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 1: Building a Resilient Operation

●

For more information about pond levee management, see USDA SRAC Repairing

Fish Pond Levees.

Wells

Ensure that well casings and caps are located a minimum of 24 inches above the

surrounding grade to help prevent intrusion of ﬂoodwater containing high salinity,

pesticides, or fertilizers into ground water supplies. Keep in mind that agriculture

well casings installed prior to 1980 only had to extend to grade in many areas,

so this may still be an issue for older wells on neighboring property throughout

the watershed. For more information, see the University of Georgia Cooperative

Extension Protecting Your Well and Wellhead website.

Drainage

●

Most ﬁnﬁsh ponds have drains of 10 or 12 inches in diameter and are

constructed of PVC or smooth steel pipe. The drains can have standpipes on the

interior or exterior of the pond levee. To learn more about drainage concerns, see

USDA SRAC Construction of Levee-Type Ponds for Fish Production.

●

Drain valves have differing levels of access that could prevent pond water level

management during ﬂooding. For example, alfalfa valves on the exterior of the

pond would be underwater during ﬂooding of the drainage ditch. A pond drain

pipe that has a valve on the exterior of the pond allows the pipe to remain full

and prevents pipe ﬂoating through a saturated levee.

●

Drainage ditches used to carry pond drainage to receiving streams should be

designed so that no standing water remains during dry weather.

●

Make sure culverts are properly designed regarding size and location.

●

For more information, see USDA SRAC Open Channel Flow in Aquaculture.

Water table depth

The amount of ﬂooding will be determined by your land’s topography, the amount

of precipitation received, and the pre-hurricane water table. The higher the pre-

hurricane water table, the more likely that ﬂooding will occur for a given amount

of precipitation. The chance of ﬂooding can be estimated by measuring the pre-

hurricane water table and considering the effects of varying precipitation amounts:

A general rule of thumb is that 1 inch of rain will cause the water table to rise

about 10 inches in ﬁne-textured soils, 6 inches in most of the ﬂatwoods sandy

soils, and 4 inches in coarse sands. It may take 4 to 6 days for the water table to

return to its desired levels following rains of 1 inch or more. For example, if the

water table is at 50 inches, 6 inches of precipitation will cause localized ﬂooding

on ﬁne-textured soils, but no ﬂooding would occur on sandy soils.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 1: Building a Resilient Operation

Trees and windbreaks

●

Clear the facility of large trees and any tall or unused structures that could

fall into ponds, block vehicle access, or damage electrical or other critical

infrastructure during high winds.

●

Allow existing stands of well-rooted trees to remain as windbreaks, but ensure

that the distance to power lines, buildings, and roads is greater than maximum

tree height.

●

Trees and shrubs used as a windbreaks should be native species that will

develop strong, deep root systems and be hardy enough to resist breaking during

high winds. Live oak (Quercus virginiana), bald cypress (Taxodium distichum),

American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), and

smooth alder (Alnus serrulata) have been identiﬁed as good windbreaks.

●

Plant three or four rows of closely spaced trees to protect critical facilities from

wind.

●

Ensure that the distance to power lines, buildings, and roads is greater than

maximum projected tree height when planting windbreaks.

●

While windbreaks may protect during Category 1 hurricane winds, no tree

species withstands winds in excess of 100 mph.

●

Keep trees or shrubs pruned and free of dead or dying branches.

●

For more information about how windbreaks can protect crops and provide

economic, environmental, and community beneﬁts, see the USDA National

Agroforestry Center Windbreaks website and the National Aeronautics and Space

Administration Use of Windbreaks for Hurricane Protection of Critical Facilities.

Burial site

●

Animal carcass burial regulations apply to dead ﬁsh from normal mortality or

catastrophes. Contact your State Department of Agriculture for proper methods.

●

Distance should be maintained from neighboring property.

●

Burial depth should be adequate to prevent odors and scavenger intrusion.

●

Burial locations should be outside of ﬂooded areas. When choosing a site,

consult with the ofﬁce of the State Veterinarian for relevant regulations and

assistance.

Debris disposal

●

Create a plan for debris disposal and the speciﬁcations regarding composition of

material the landﬁll nearest your farm will accept, and identify alternatives if

needed.

●

For more information about debris disposal following natural disasters, see

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Dealing with Debris and Damaged

Buildings website, including their Disaster Debris Recovery Tool.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 1: Building a Resilient Operation

Emergency planning

●

U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration

(OSHA) regulations require an employer with more than 10 employees to have

a printed copy of an emergency action plan readily accessible to all employees.

(If you have 10 employees or fewer, the emergency plan may be reviewed orally.)

For more about emergency action plans, see the OSHA Agricultural Safety Fact

Sheet.

●

Consider bringing together a disaster planning team, which could consist of

the farm owner and engaged family members, the farm manager, an insurance

representative, local Extension agent, and other individuals.

●

Have an emergency budget planned.

Farm Emergency Plan

●

Your Farm Emergency Plan details how your operation will respond in the

event of a hurricane, prepare for a worst-case scenario, and ensure continuity of

operations.

●

See Appendix: Farm Emergency Plan for a sample plan that you can customize

for your operation.

●

Develop a plan that identiﬁes chain of command, with clearly deﬁned primary/

secondary roles and responsibilities of various team members. The speciﬁc

actions outlined below can serve as the basis for most sections of the plan:

▬

A 5-day timeline should be included to reﬂect speciﬁc preparation activities

leading up to the hurricane impact.

▬

Post-impact actions should also be programmed ahead of time based on

recovery priorities. Incorporate realistic expectations regarding the time

involved for both hurricane preparation and response.

●

Create a checklist of what must be done to secure the facility, fuel supplies,

chemical supplies, ﬁsh, and equipment in case a hurricane is forecast to make

landfall near the facility.

●

Make sure all of your employees know the formats (electronic or hard copy) and

locations where the Farm Emergency Plan is stored.

●

Consider creating a “hurricane suggestion box” where employees can place ideas

for training and planning they believe would increase the operation’s resilience

and safety in the face of a hurricane, based on their previous experience.

Maps

Prepare maps for each block of ponds and all other facilities, including locations

of electrical equipment (with shut-off options), fuel storage tanks (both above and

below ground), propane tanks, compressed gas (for welding, ﬁsh transport, etc.),

feed bins, chemical spill equipment, and alternate entry/exit routes.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 1: Building a Resilient Operation

Hurricane tracking apps

●

Download a computer and mobile device app that models hurricane track

predictions, sends alerts, and tracks hurricane impacts. The NOAA National

Hurricane Center website is a good source for keeping up to date on the latest

hurricane activities.

●

For more information about emergency alerts, see the Ready.gov Emergency

Alerts website.

Roles and responsibilities

●

Designate an Emergency Response Team for the facility. Members of the

emergency response team should be familiar with the maps of all farm facilities,

knowledgeable about the hazards found on the farm, and thoroughly trained

and physically capable of performing assigned duties and responsibilities. The

team should be trained in decision making regarding when to take actions

themselves or when to wait for outside emergency responders. All team members

must be trained in:

▬

Use of various types of ﬁre extinguishers

▬

First aid, including CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)

▬

Shutdown procedures for electricity, tractors, and other equipment

▬

Chemical spill control (for fuel tanks, stored herbicides, etc.)

●

In your Farm Emergency Plan, list who will be responsible for each task and

how they’ll report ﬁre, ﬂooding, building collapses, and other emergencies.

Identify procedures to be followed by the people who remain to handle critical

operations.

Communication

Emergency Contacts List

●

An Emergency Contacts List should be updated and circulated regularly. It

should include local emergency and medical services, local USDA ofﬁces,

private insurance carriers, and emergency contact numbers for all employees,

mechanics, and electrical contractors, and State agencies that can assist with

sampling in the event that ﬂoodwaters are suspected of contaminating ponds.

●

See Appendix: Emergency Contacts List for a template that you can customize.

The Emergency Contacts List should include names, phone numbers, and other

pertinent information (email addresses, locations, etc.) for individuals who are

on your farm on a regular basis or provide crucial emergency services.

●

Keep copies of your Emergency Contacts List (hard copies as well as electronic

copies) in multiple locations, including your home, ofﬁce, and vehicle, and with

all family members and key employees. It is a good idea to have this information

stored on your and your employees’ mobile devices.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 1: Building a Resilient Operation

Lines of communication with local businesses and ofﬁcials

Maintain open lines of communication with local businesses and ofﬁcials,

including your local law enforcement and ﬁre departments, electricity and gas

providers, and other key groups to help them understand the nature of your

business so that they can respond as needed in the event of a hurricane. Let

them know the number of employees typically onsite, the potential impact of the

hurricane on crops, and the potential hazards that could lead to environmental

contamination in the event of a ﬂood or structural damage.

Post-hurricane communications

●

Plan and secure mechanisms for communication immediately after a hurricane.

●

Purchase a battery-powered or hand-crank radio to stay up to date about

conditions beyond your property in case you lose electricity for an extended

period of time.

●

Consider ahead of time the locations where producers and others could meet if

all communication lines are down (e.g., a local feed or equipment supplier).

●

Contact a local AM radio station to see whether it could serve as a

communication channel in the aftermath of a hurricane.

●

For more hurricane-related communication recommendations, see the U.S.

Federal Communications Commission FCC and FEMA: How to Communicate

Before, During and After a Major Disaster website.

Electricity and gas

●

Contact your local utility company for guidance on how to disconnect power in

the event of downed lines. Record their instructions in your Farm Emergency

Plan.

●

Have the contact information for local utility companies or cooperatives posted

and readily available so power can be restored as soon as possible if necessary.

●

Have contact information posted and readily available to employees for

preferred, private electrical companies or contractors to quickly restore damaged

on-farm electrical equipment that is not the responsibility of the utility

company.

●

If certain equipment requires specialized shutdown procedures, train employees

in these procedures.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 1: Building a Resilient Operation

Equipment operation

●

Train personnel in the safe operation of unfamiliar equipment (such as

generators or drainage pumps) that they may have to use in case of a hurricane.

●

Make sure the appropriate employees are prepared to set up your backup

generators. They should refer to your Backup Power Plan for information about

where generators and generator fuel can be found, where they should be placed

in preparation for a hurricane, and how they are to be connected to the electrical

loads they will power.

Drones

Consider getting an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (i.e., drone) pilot license and

purchasing a UAV. Small UAV quadcopters or hexacopters that can be equipped with

visual or RGB cameras are relatively cheap ($500 to more than $2,000). Use of UAVs

will help with damage assessment if accessing your operation directly is impossible

or unsafe. For regulations and more information about operating a UAV, see:

▬

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration

Unmanned Aircraft Systems website

▬

University of Florida IFAS Extension Preﬂight and Flight Instructions on the

Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Agricultural Applications

Chemical safety

Take the necessary steps to prevent chemical spills from storage tanks containing

fuel, herbicides, pesticides, or other potentially dangerous liquids.

Basic emergency response skills

Train all members of your Emergency Response Team in the use of various types of

ﬁre extinguishers, ﬁrst aid, and CPR.

Exotic species

If your facility cultures exotic species, it is required to have emergency measures

in place to ensure that no potentially invasive species escape to the wild. These

measures may include maintaining a supply of rotenone or other chemicals to

euthanize all ﬁsh in outdoor ponds or tanks. These measures should not be taken

until the day before a hurricane is predicted to pass near the facility. Emergency

euthanasia procedures should specify the projected rainfall amounts designated for

decision-making purposes and consider the time requirements to allow employees

to evacuate after applying and neutralizing treatments.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 2: Long-Term Operation Maintenance

section 2

Long-Term Operation Maintenance

Periodic checks of systems already in place

(described in the previous section)

Prior to hurricane season

Survey your operations to assess the potential impact that high wind or heavy

rain or ﬂooding would have on livestock and facilities, and identify any changes

that should be addressed. Contact your local Extension ofﬁce and other State and

Federal resources for further information speciﬁc to your circumstances.

Annual review of emergency planning tasks

Farm Emergency Plan review and reassessment

●

Review your Farm Emergency Plan with your employees to ensure that they are

familiar with all elements. Make any necessary additions or updates.

●

Review your Emergency Contacts List with your employees, and update it with

current names and contact information.

●

Review items provided in the “hurricane suggestion box,” and add them to your

Farm Emergency Plan or training list as relevant.

Employee training

●

Identify key tasks that employees will need to complete during hurricane

preparation and recovery operations.

●

Have employees work through the facility’s step-by-step hurricane emergency

preparedness plan to secure the facility, fuel supplies, chemical supplies, and

equipment. Hold quizzes to ensure preparedness.

●

Practice activities and procedures including power disconnection and equipment

operation that should be done prior to and after the hurricane so employees are

more conﬁdent and prepared to conduct activities when necessary.

●

Check mobile device/radio capabilities and contact information often.

●

Once each year, provide training for all employees that will participate in the key

tasks identiﬁed above.

Personal health and safety tasks

●

Make sure you and your employees have up-to-date tetanus shots.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 2: Long-Term Operation Maintenance

●

For information and links to time-speciﬁc guidance for preparing yourself and

your home, see the Ready.gov Hurricanes website.

●

Download the FEMA Mobile App to learn emergency safety tips and receive real-

time weather alerts, important disaster planning reminders, information about

shelters and recovery centers, and more.

Recordkeeping, documentation, and insurance

●

Aquaculture is not a federally insured crop. Typically, each producer must obtain

their own aquaculture crop insurance through private insurance companies.

Nonetheless, producers should check with their local USDA Farm Service Agency

(FSA) ofﬁce to determine if they should register their production acreage to be

eligible for any disaster-related assistance programs that may be authorized during

the coming year(s).

●

At the time of renewal, review your insurance policies with your agent to be sure

that you have adequate ﬂood insurance and coverage for vehicles, farm buildings

and structures, and crops.

●

Farm inventories of equipment, ﬁsh, and other resources should be updated

frequently by pond/tank/building number and location, and distributed so that

access can be obtained electronically from remote locations.

●

Maintain good ﬁsh inventory, equipment inventory, and feeding records at all

times. This information is critical during recovery and insurance claims. Take

these records with you when evacuating for hurricanes. Establish a procedure to

store records digitally and transmit them weekly to one or more recipients so they

will exist and be retrievable on computers in other locations.

Infrastructure

Buildings and facilities

Perform adequate facility infrastructure maintenance to ensure items such as loose

rooﬁng materials or improperly/inadequately grounded electrical equipment do not

become much more major issues during a hurricane.

Drainage

●

Clean out culverts and ditches and other drainage areas especially before

and during the peak hurricane season. Keep ditches clear through a good

maintenance program including chemical weed control. Re-grade areas of the

property that are prone to ﬂooding to improve drainage.

●

Check any new construction, housing developments, or DOT projects nearby

to see whether they are affecting your land’s drainage. Determine where the

water is draining now. Address any new drainage needs before hurricane season

begins.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 2: Long-Term Operation Maintenance

Maintenance of trees, windbreaks, and roads

●

Remove dead or dying branches from trees on your property. Keep power line

easements free of trees that could potentially fall on the lines during a hurricane.

Trees that have grown and now present a risk to utilities, fences, or facilities

should be trimmed or removed.

●

Maintain windbreaks with regular pruning, especially if they are close to aerial

power or telephone lines. To learn more about proper pruning practices, see:

▬

Inland Urban Forest Council A Practical Guide to Proper Pruning of Trees and

Shrubs

▬

University of Florida IFAS Extension Pruning Shade Trees in Landscapes

website

▬

OSHA Line-Clearance Tree Trimming Operations website

●

Evaluate roads for any repairs or improvements that need to be made before

hurricanes arrive.

Generators

●

Do routine annual maintenance on backup generators. Replace old stored fuel

with new, fresh fuel. Replace fuel ﬁlters, test all generator circuits, and make sure

you have all necessary supplies on hand, including spare belts and fuel ﬁlters.

●

Ensure that all essential equipment functions when powered by the backup

generator.

Emergency equipment and supplies

●

Purchase and maintain a stockpile of weather-prooﬁng supplies on hand at the

facility, such as tarps and sandbags for buildings, pumps, generators, fuel tanks,

and damaged levees.

●

Purchase and maintain emergency medical supplies, a drinking water supply,

and a dry and canned food supply adequate for at least 2 weeks of survival for

employees that become stranded at the facility or may need to return to the

facility for animal care or recovery before utility and emergency services are

restored. Food supplies must be stored in secure containers.

Monthly considerations during hurricane season

See Appendix: Resource Links for local Extension ofﬁces and other State and

Federal resources which you may consult for further information.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 2: Long-Term Operation Maintenance

Weather monitoring

●

Check short- and long-term weather forecasts and radar at least once daily

during hurricane season (June–November), and monitor newscasts and weather

reports for potential and impending hurricane and other storm threats.

●

Go over emergency preparedness and evacuation plans with employees,

including the step-by-step plan and checklist. See “Emergency planning” in the

“Building a Resilient Operation” section.

Buildings

Perform adequate facility infrastructure maintenance to ensure items such as loose

rooﬁng materials or improperly/inadequately grounded electrical equipment do not

become much more serious threats to life and property during a hurricane.

Levees

●

Identify and repair potholes and low areas on levees that could become

impassable with heavy rainfall.

●

Identify key points on each block of ponds where levee and road elevations will

ﬁrst become impassable in the event of rising water.

Equipment and supplies

●

Check list of equipment and supplies for repairs that may be needed after the

hurricane.

●

Note supplies that take longer to deliver and order early to ensure they are

available after a hurricane. Stockpile chemicals that are essential for your

operation.

●

Refresh emergency medical supplies, water, and dry and canned food supplies.

●

Keep a stock of tools, utilities, ﬁrst aid kits, water, and mosquito repellent

available to all personnel. Tools should include a shovel, communication

devices, gloves, rubber boots, etc.

Farm equipment

●

Any equipment not in use, or equipment used primarily during other seasons

(such as during spawning season), should be stored or secured in a safe location,

as if a hurricane were already on its way. This reduces the time required for

moving and securing equipment if a hurricane evacuation is required.

●

Make sure access to your main machinery will be easy and not in the path of

locations that are prone to ﬂooding.

●

Contact your equipment manufacturers to establish procedures for dealing

with damaged equipment. Make sure you won’t invalidate your warranty if you

attempt repairs yourself.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 2: Long-Term Operation Maintenance

Fuel

If secure storage facilities are available onsite, arrange for fuel deliveries several

days prior to the expected hurricane impact. Consider fuel needs for tractors,

generators, and farm vehicles, and keep at least a 2-week supply on hand. Keep in

mind, however, that any fuel stored onsite poses a signiﬁcant contamination risk if

storage tanks cannot be adequately protected from anticipated ﬂooding.

Generators

Verify there is adequate fuel to power generators for at least 2 weeks.

Crop

●

Maintain good ﬁsh inventory, equipment inventory, and feeding records at all

times. This information is critical during recovery and insurance claims. Hard

copies should be maintained and taken with producers when evacuating for

hurricanes. Transmit this information to other locations on a weekly basis to

serve as a backup.

●

Maintain effective aquatic vegetation and algal bloom control to limit oxygen

demands during prolonged periods of power outages.

●

Evaluate the vulnerability of your feed storage facilities. Consider limiting feed

purchases and supplies on hand to prevent feed loss from water damage in case

of a hurricane. This is particularly true for ground-level storage facilities.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 3: Short-Term Preparedness

section 3

Short-Term Preparedness

Bracing for the hurricane: speciﬁc actions to be

done in the week before a hurricane arrives

1–7 days before a hurricane is forecast to strike

First and foremost, take whatever precautions necessary to protect your family,

your employees, and yourself. After that is accomplished, focus on protecting your

farm. Once forecasters have put your area in a hurricane’s path, there are a number

of precautions you should take to prepare.

Employees’ roles and responsibilities

●

Begin working through your operation’s step-by-step hurricane emergency

preparedness checklist of tasks that must be done to secure the facility, fuel

supplies, chemical supplies, ﬁsh, and equipment.

●

Review your Farm Emergency Plan with all employees and discuss each person’s

responsibilities.

●

Continue to monitor hurricane track and strength updates. Listen closely for

evacuation orders in your area.

●

Determine whether individual employees plan to evacuate or stay during the

hurricane. For those who evacuate, establish a schedule for checking in after the

hurricane so that they know the extent of the damages and when it is safe to

return. For employees who stay, be sure they have safe lodging, sufﬁcient food

and water, and an established plan for checking in.

●

Ensure that all managers know their responsibilities prior to, during, and after the

hurricane. Handling the hurricane damage is too much work for one or two people.

●

Ensure that personnel have training in ﬁrst aid and key personnel know how to

operate emergency equipment they may be unfamiliar with (e.g., a chainsaw to

remove trees blocking roads).

Communications

Ensure that all communication equipment is available and working properly.

Mobile devices are good for communication, but ensure radios are available and in

working condition. Keep mobile devices fully charged. Have rechargeable battery

packs or charging cables for vehicles to maintain communication. Texting may be

a more valuable form of communication than calling when phone networks may be

overwhelmed.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 3: Short-Term Preparedness

Food, water, and cash

●

Make sure your operation still has a 2-week supply of drinking water as well as

dry and canned food.

●

Secure cash reserves for purchasing supplies after the hurricane. In widespread

power outages, credit and debit cards will not work, and many vendors do not

accept checks.

Recordkeeping, documentation, and insurance

●

Ensure that important documents, including important legal documents, bank

records, and identiﬁcation documents, are in a safe, dry place and that duplicates

are in alternative locations offsite.

●

Document the condition of your facilities and your livestock. Take photographs

and video (where helpful), record forage crop maturity, and estimate yield, as

this will aid with insurance claims and disaster recovery assistance.

●

If there is time, try to get nutrient analysis of soil to document possible wash out

or loss of nutrients due to ﬂooding. If the crop is damaged or lost, these records

will help with the damage assessment and post-hurricane claims. Check with

your Extension or crop advisor on the best way to calculate a yield estimate for

your crop.

●

If you have insurance through FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program, your

policy may cover up to $1,000 in loss avoidance measures such as sandbags and

water pumps to protect insured property. Check with your insurance provider

to conﬁrm. Keep copies of all receipts and a record of the time spent performing

the work and submit these documents to your insurance adjuster when you ﬁle a

claim to be reimbursed.

Equipment

●

Move all non-critical equipment to higher elevations or store in secure buildings.

Don’t leave equipment around large trees.

●

Secure all building components (windows, doors, attic vents, etc.) and outdoor

objects wherever necessary.

●

Ensure that all emergency equipment is ready (e.g., compressors and heavy

machinery).

●

Make sure chainsaws are in good working condition. Stock up on fuel mixture

and bar and chain oil. Sharpen the chain, keep the saw ﬁle and saw wrench close

at hand, and make sure you have a spare chain.

●

Move all vehicles and other equipment to high ground and to a wind-protected

area.

●

Move chemicals to a secure place, on high ground above any potential ﬂooding

if possible.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 3: Short-Term Preparedness

●

Ensure that tanks containing fuel, chemicals, and other liquids are kept full and

tied down.

●

Make sure that farm equipment you will need after the hurricane is fully fueled

and operational.

Infrastructure

Backup generators

Be sure your backup generators are fully operational, with full fuel tanks and

portable fuel storage tanks. Your generators may have to run for several days until

the power company can restore electricity. Review the owner’s manual for the

maximum run time and other unit speciﬁcs.

Fuel

●

If secure fuel storage facilities are available onsite, arrange for fuel deliveries

several days prior to the expected hurricane impact. Consider fuel needs for

tractors, generators, and farm vehicles. While some feel the best option is to

arrange for fuel deliveries prior to the arrival of a hurricane, it should be stressed

that any fuel stored onsite poses a contamination risk if storage tanks cannot be

adequately protected from anticipated ﬂooding.

●

Have at least a 2-week supply of fuel available for equipment and generators. Be

sure the supplier understands how much you use daily and that it is necessary

for farm operations.

●

Service stations will not be able to supply fuel if they do not have electric power

for the pumps, so make sure portable fuel storage tanks are full.

Electricity and gas shut-off

Consult your Farm Emergency Plan and follow procedures for disconnecting

electrical power and gas to some or all buildings and any non-critical equipment in

danger of being ﬂooded.

Buildings and grounds

●

Secure all feed and bait storage facilities and apply sandbags if necessary. Feed

and bait comprise the largest costs of production, and losses can occur from

damage to or ﬂooding of storage buildings.

●

To secure building components:

▬

Check on the security of rooﬁng, siding materials, windows, and doors.

▬

Make sure all other building components are tied down securely.

▬

Consider covering windows with plywood and have sandbags ready to place

in front of doors and wherever else water may enter.

●

Secure objects around your farm, so that they don’t blow away or become

hazardous projectiles.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 3: Short-Term Preparedness

Roads

If the roads leading to the farm are likely to ﬂood, stage your boat in a secure, easy-

to-access location.

Drainage

●

Check drainage ditches and culverts around your facilities, and remove debris.

●

Pump down all water from ditches to the maximum extent possible.

Ponds and levees

●

To the extent possible, deploy portable aerators across the ponds, but avoid those

areas that have the lowest elevations and would be the ﬁrst to ﬂood. Although

most portable aerators are quite heavy, they should nonetheless be secured to

power poles or water inlet pipes using chains or heavy rope.

●

Three to 4 days before hurricane impact, lower pond standpipes to 12 to 18

inches below normal level, depending on projected rainfall amounts, to allow

sufﬁcient time for water to drain and to make room for excessive rainfall during

a hurricane. NOTE: Be sure to raise standpipes back up before signiﬁcant

rainfalls begin to prevent ﬂoodwaters from entering ponds through the drains.

●

Ensure that all pumps and pump stations that will be needed to remove water

from the facility are in good working order and that backup generators are full of

fuel. Protect these assets from ﬂooding with sandbags as needed.

Feed storage

Secure all feed and feed storage facilities (bins and buildings) and apply sandbags

if necessary. Feed is frequently the single largest cost of production and massive

moisture-related feed losses can occur due to building damage or ﬂooding.

Supplies

●

Review inventories and order any additional supplies that can be delivered

before the hurricane.

●

Make sure that you have enough batteries for ﬂashlights and radios to last at

least 2 weeks.

Crop

●

Harvest as many large ﬁsh as possible (at or above market size) and transport to

processors or buyers 4 to 7 days before a hurricane is forecast to pass through the

area. Reducing inventory and creating a positive cash ﬂow prior to the hurricane

can be critical to recovery should the facility be ﬂooded, severely damaged, or

destroyed. This also thins out stocks so oxygen demands will not be as high

during periods of prolonged power outages.

●

If time permits, thin ﬁsh in high-density ponds/tanks and spread them out

among less dense ponds/tanks to alleviate aeration demands during prolonged

periods without power.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 3: Short-Term Preparedness

●

Stop feeding 2 days prior to predicted hurricane arrival to reduce biological

oxygen demand of ﬁsh and ponds. Provide additional aeration to ponds to offset

decreased photosynthesis resulting from cloud cover and to allow ﬁsh to go into

the hurricane in the best condition possible.

1 day before the hurricane strikes

Employee safety

●

Make sure all facility employees have evacuated to secure areas at least 1 day

prior to hurricane impact. If some staff will remain onsite, conﬁrm that they

have access to structures on high ground or elevated slabs/pylons that can

withstand hurricane winds and rain, sufﬁcient stores of clean water and food,

medical supplies, sufﬁcient supplies of any medications they normally take,

working radios or cell phones, and sufﬁcient battery or generator power.

●

Those workers remaining onsite should have cell phone communication with

evacuated supervisors and colleagues to receive hurricane updates, since local

radio and television communications often black out for several hours as a

hurricane passes and can sometimes be out for days afterward. Local ﬁrst

responders may also be out of communication at the time of hurricane impact.

●

Personnel remaining onsite to monitor ﬁsh and facilities until the last moment

should observe water levels in low-lying and problematic areas so they have

sufﬁcient time to exit the operation before levees and surrounding roads and

highways are blocked with ﬂoodwaters.

●

Perform a ﬁnal veriﬁcation of the hurricane track and strength. Listen closely for

evacuation orders for your area.

●

Obey all mandatory evacuation orders. Failure to do so can put you and your

employees at risk and could tie up rescue resources. Do not require your

personnel to be present on the farm under a mandatory evacuation since they

also have to prepare themselves and their families.

Equipment

●

Unplug or shut off electrical supplies to any non-critical equipment.

●

Move all remaining portable equipment to high ground.

Ponds and levees

Verify that all pond standpipes have been returned to their normal levels to prevent

ﬂoodwaters from backing up into ponds.

Exotic species

If your facility cultures exotic species, check procedures in your Farm Emergency

Plan to determine if they will need to be euthanized.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 4: Post-Hurricane Recovery

section 4

Post-Hurricane Recovery

Activities that can be taken to minimize losses immediately

after, a week after, and a month after a hurricane

Immediately after the hurricane has passed

When the hurricane has passed, proceed with extreme caution as you begin to

inspect for damage. Consider all downed power lines to be energized and lethal!

If there are structures that were damaged, there will be debris that could have

exposed nails, screws, splinters, or sharp edges that could potentially cause injury.

Safety

●

Make safety your ﬁrst priority. Do not rush back into a facility until you are sure it

is safe. Drowning and electrocution are two of the largest dangers in aquaculture

production, and the danger increases dramatically in the wake of a hurricane.

Proceed with caution and avoid driving across any submerged roads or levees.

●

Check for levee breaches, ﬂooded ponds, rising or incoming water, and evidence

of structural ﬁre or damage before entering any infrastructure on the property.

●

Check the entire operation for downed power lines or other utilities that may

pose a hazard or need to be repaired. Avoid downed power lines as these may

still be live and present an electrocution hazard. Operate on the assumption that

all downed power lines are live. Remember that a downed power line on a fence

may energize the fence.

●

Check on the safety of any employees that may have remained behind during

the hurricane to care for the facility or animals.

●

Continue to watch the weather forecast. Are waters forecast to continue rising

higher than they are now? Some ﬂoodwaters peak up to a week after the

hurricane.

Electricity and gas

●

When contacting utility companies, be sure to state that animal life support

systems depend on restoration of services. Assistance in restoration of utilities

that maintain animal life support systems is frequently given priority over

restoring services to non-critical businesses.

●

When restoring electricity to buildings that have ﬂooded, use extreme caution

and consult with an electrician and your power provider. See the Alabama

Cooperative Extension System Restoring Electrical Service website.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 4: Post-Hurricane Recovery

●

Natural gas or liquid petroleum (LP) gas leaks can cause deadly explosions.

Check for natural gas or LP gas leaks, and if a leak is suspected, turn off the gas,

evacuate the area, and notify your gas company and local law enforcement. Tell

employees to stay clear.

Ground water

After a ﬂood event, ground water should be used with caution if contamination is

suspected anywhere in the general vicinity.

Buildings and roads

●

Check for evidence of ﬁre or structural damage before entering any buildings on

the property.

●

Inspect roofs for wind-damaged areas and cover these to reduce water damage

inside structures, such as shops or ofﬁces.

●

Examine all locations where roads cross over culverts and bridges to determine if

signiﬁcant erosion has undermined structural integrity.

●

Start the process of water removal from the facility by pumping if necessary

and if possible. Facility recovery cannot be undertaken until roads, levees, and

buildings are no longer ﬂooded.

●

As soon as it is safe, call in the employees needed for inspection and clearing

debris from roads. Cordon off areas that are unsafe.

Security

Watch your farm for unwelcome visitors like looters. Secure your equipment and

farm entrances, and make sure your security cameras are operational.

Recordkeeping, documentation, and insurance

●

Do not begin cleaning up or repairing damage until you have thoroughly

documented the damage. Contact your crop insurance adjuster as soon as

possible to decide on the best plan moving forward with potential damage to

your crop. (See “Within a Week following hurricane impacts” regarding post-

hurricane documentation.)

●

If you have experienced ﬂooding and have ﬂood insurance through the FEMA

National Flood Insurance Program, see their How do I Start My Flood Claim?

website for information about starting a claim.

The crop

●

If ponds or tanks have become ﬂooded, determine whether water is leaving the

property and potentially carrying ﬁsh with it. If so, seines or orange vinyl roadside

fencing may be placed across shallow or slow-moving water to prevent further ﬁsh

escape and retain them on the property. For safety reasons, do not attempt to enter,

seine, or fence fast-moving water that is more than ankle deep. It is better to dam

the fast-moving water using heavy construction equipment if possible.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 4: Post-Hurricane Recovery

●

Aeration is the ﬁrst critical item that must be restored following a hurricane.

This can be especially important for watershed ponds. Runoff from above the

pond will replace algae-laden water with water carrying high levels of silt and

bacteria, severely limiting natural oxygen production after the hurricane.

●

After conducting the aforementioned safety checks, determine if power to

stationary aerators is still functioning or has been restored.

▬

If power is functioning, start normal aeration with electrical aerators.

▬

If power is not functioning, move portable emergency aeration equipment

from secure locations to ponds with the lowest dissolved oxygen levels.

●

Begin to collect, enumerate, and document dead ﬁsh, damaged feed, and other

losses as soon as possible. It may not be possible to adequately document losses

due to scavenging and decay later in the recovery process.

Within a week following hurricane impacts

Personal health and safety

Take care of yourself during recovery. Disasters and the recovery period afterward

take a toll on human health. Disaster recovery takes a long time and can be very

stressful. For guidance to help you through this difﬁcult time, see:

▬

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Disaster Mental Health

Resources website

▬

North Carolina Cooperative Extension Tips for Handling Family Stress After

Disasters

Communications

The local supply/seed stores are often natural sources of information if the power

is down and electronic communication is limited. In addition, radio stations have

generators that allow them to transmit if their towers are not damaged.

Recovery assistance

●

Start the private crop insurance claims process. Accurate losses of inventory and

equipment may not be fully documented yet, but start the paperwork now since

insurance claims can take months to resolve following hurricane events. Be sure to:

▬

Document any damage to facility buildings, equipment, and machinery.

▬

Check and document water damage to equipment and machinery.

▬

Continue to collect, enumerate, and document any dead ﬁsh or feed spoilage.

▬

Organize written records.

●

Before beginning cleanup, talk with your insurance company and consult with

disaster assistance program agents to learn about available programs, eligibility

requirements, and application procedures. (See “Disaster assistance” below for

more information about assistance programs.)

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 4: Post-Hurricane Recovery

Documentation of damage

Many disaster assistance programs will become available after the disaster,

perhaps even years later, and an operation can only receive assistance for damage

that was documented. For instance, the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP),

administered by FSA, can provide funding and technical assistance to rehabilitate

farmland damaged by natural disasters. The work must be documented, and

farmers must receive authorization from their local USDA ofﬁce in advance.

Photos and video

Take photos or video ﬁrst before beginning any cleanup or repairs. Photograph and

take video of damaged facilities and property and/or ﬁnﬁsh mortality with written

notes describing what is in the pictures and where they were taken. This “after”

documentation will be used with your pre-hurricane “before” documentation to

clearly show your losses.

Drones

If you own and have a license to operate a UAV (i.e., drone), utilize it now to take

aerial photographs of damage to your operation. Local Extension ofﬁces might have

access to drones and personnel with a drone pilot license to assist you.

Written records

Keep a notebook with you throughout the recovery period. Describe the work you

did and record all expenses. Keep a running log of names and what was discussed

during conversations with insurance, State, and Federal agency contacts to create

a valuable, third-party record of your recovery efforts that can be used later as

documentation for disaster assistance programs. You may not remember everything

that was discussed at these meetings, so have a second person involved in the

conversations if possible so that one can ask questions and the other can take notes.

Disaster assistance

●

The types of help offered may be different for each disaster. To view the current

list of declared disasters, visit the FEMA Disaster Information website.

●

The DHS DisasterAssistance.gov website provides information on how you

might be able to receive aid from the U.S. Government before, during, and after a

disaster.

●

If you have sustained damage from a disaster in your State, but your county is

not named for Individual Assistance, contact your State emergency management

agency or ofﬁce to see if any other help is being offered.

●

Communicate early and often with recovery assistance contacts. Check in with

them throughout the recovery process. Note that assistance will vary from one

hurricane to the next and one budget year to the next.

●

Call your local FSA Ofﬁce to report any losses or damages and inquire about

available assistance programs, application procedures, and deadlines.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 4: Post-Hurricane Recovery

●

Check in with your local Extension ofﬁce, USDA agencies, and your State

Department of Agriculture to see what assistance may be available following the

hurricane.

●

Consult the following resources:

▬

FEMA Disaster Recovery Center Locator and Individual Assistance website to

ﬁnd the closest recovery center and other resources to assist you during your

recovery

▬

USDA Disaster Resource Center website for updates on emergency designation

areas and available assistance programs

▬

Farmers.gov Protection and Recovery website, including the ﬁve-step Disaster

Assistance Discovery Tool to learn which USDA disaster assistance programs

are available to assist you with your recovery

▬

NOAA Fishery Disaster Assistance website for information about ﬁshery-

related disaster assistance programs

▬

U.S. Department of Labor Disaster Unemployment Assistance Program

website

●

To learn more about USDA Disaster Assistance Programs that may be right for

you, see:

▬

Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP)—FSA program that

provides assistance for eligible producers who suffer losses or are prevented

from planting agricultural commodities that are not eligible for protection by

Federal crop insurance

▬

Emergency Farm Loans—FSA program that provides eligible farmers low-

interest loans to help them recover from production and physical losses

▬

Disaster Set-Aside Program—FSA program that allows eligible FSA borrowers

to skip an annual installment payment and move it to the end of the loan

repayment period

▬

Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish

Program (ELAP)—FSA program that provides payments to qualifying

producers to help compensate for eligible losses

▬

Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Recovery Assistance—USDA Natural

Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) program that provides ﬁnancial and

technical assistance to quickly address serious and long-lasting damage to

infrastructure and the land

▬

EWP Floodplain Easement Program (EWPP-FPE)—NRCS program option for

converting land to permanent easements for the purpose of improving ﬂood

plain management and reducing the threat to life and property

▬

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)—Year-round NRCS

rehabilitation program with funding authority to provide ﬁnancial assistance

to repair and prevent excessive soil erosion caused or impacted by natural

disasters

▬

Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)—FSA program with technical

assistance through NRCS that helps eligible farmers repair damage to

farmlands caused by natural disasters

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 4: Post-Hurricane Recovery

Insurance claims process

●

Start the private insurance claims process. Accurate losses of inventory and

equipment may not be fully documented yet, but start the paperwork now since

insurance claims can take months to resolve following hurricane events.

●

Contact your local Extension and USDA ofﬁces to determine what, if any, steps

should be taken to qualify for any hurricane-related assistance programs.

●

Keep accurate daily inventories of spoiled/damaged feed and ﬁsh losses during

the disposal process. Document losses with photos in addition to recorded

tallies. Accurate records and photographic evidence are required for insurance

and Federal disaster recovery programs.

Infrastructure assessment and repairs

●

Check structural soundness and document any damage to facility buildings.

●

Work to safely restore electrical and water supplies wherever needed.

●

Check and document water damage to equipment and machinery.

●

Assess damage to equipment and infrastructure and create a prioritized list of

needed repairs.

●

Repair access roads, and repair main facilities if damage occurred.

●

Gather quotes from qualiﬁed vendors to make repairs to facilities and

equipment. Vendors are often overwhelmed in the months following a

hurricane, so making contact soon after the hurricane is important for an

expedient response.

●

Monitor fuel levels in backup generators and order additional fuel as needed.

Ponds and ﬁsh

●

Maintain heavy aeration in ponds to reduce stress and associated disease that

could be caused by a temporary lack of aeration following power outages or rapid

changes in water chemistry from heavy rainfall, ﬂooding, or saltwater intrusion.

●

Do not feed any portion of feed if a bag, container, or bin shows evidence of

water damage or spoilage. Clean out feed storage buildings, bins, or other

containers with spoiled feed. Thoroughly rinse them with a 10-percent bleach

solution and allow to dry completely before restocking feed. Fish will survive for

a week or more without feed but may die if they consume spoiled feed.

●

If structural, equipment, and operational damages are minimal, begin pond

inventory assessments. To determine inventory losses, ponds that were ﬂooded

(over the levees or via drain pipes) and ponds with visible mortality should be

fully seined, or partially seined and ﬁsh numbers extrapolated based on total

pond volume.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 4: Post-Hurricane Recovery

●

Just as critically, seining should be done to determine if undesirable or damaging

ﬁsh species were introduced to ponds through storm surge or ﬂooding. After

Hurricane Harvey, for example, some redﬁsh producers in Texas found large

numbers of black drum (Pogonias cromis) and Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias

undulatus) in their ponds, unwanted ﬁsh that would have consumed feed,

potentially preyed upon production ﬁsh, and reduced proﬁt margins. In many

regions where catﬁsh (Ictalurus spp.), baitﬁsh and ornamental ﬁsh are produced,

similar problems can result from carp (Cyprinus spp.), buffalo (Ictiobus spp.),

bullheads (Ameiurus spp.) and green sunﬁsh (Lepomis cyanellus).

●

Contact your local Extension agent or State aquaculture Extension specialist for

more guidance on recovering from a hurricane disaster.

Floodwater contamination

“Floodwater” refers to the overﬂow of external sources of water such as rivers

or canals and not to direct precipitation that may pool in or near your ﬁelds or

facilities.

Water supply

●

If you have a well, regardless of whether the wellhead was ﬂooded, submit

ground water samples for microbial and chemical testing to ensure that the

aquifer was not contaminated. Also monitor wells for coliform contamination.

●

Assess equipment damage and take this into account for upcoming harvest

operations. This will help in developing a plan for the coming weeks and

months.

Within a month after hurricane impacts

Recovery assistance and insurance claims

●

Aquaculture producers may apply for disaster assistance after the President

makes a major disaster declaration for your State, and your speciﬁc county is

named for Individual Assistance.

●

While a special allocation may not be immediately available, it is important to

document losses and to illustrate to your legislators the impact of the hurricane

on your operation. This information will help promote policy decisions and

additional allocations that may become available.

●

Continue and follow up on the private insurance claims process. Begin ﬁling

for any additional State or Federal disaster assistance programs for hurricane

recovery.

●

Continue to check for any structural or equipment damages or losses and

document each incidence when discovered.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

SECTION 4: Post-Hurricane Recovery

●

Continue to collect, enumerate, and document any dead ﬁsh or feed spoilage for

insurance purposes.

●

See the USDA Disaster Resource Center website for updated information about

FEMA aid and other disaster programs.

Recordkeeping for potential delayed recovery assistance

Keep accurate daily inventories of spoiled/damaged feed and ﬁsh losses during the

disposal process. Continue to document losses with photos in addition to recorded

tallies. Accurate records and photographic evidence are required for insurance and

Federal disaster recovery programs.

Infrastructure and equipment

●

Monitor buildings for water damage or mold development and monitor wells for

coliform bacteria.

●

Continue to reﬁll fuel tanks and check backup generators until full power is

restored.

●

Remove debris from roads, levees, and the rest of the farm area.

●

Remove fallen trees. Tree wood can sometimes be sold. For information

about assessing hurricane-damaged trees, see the North Carolina Cooperative

Extension Decision Making Guidelines for Storm-Damaged Trees.

Farm equipment

●

Continue to gather quotes from qualiﬁed vendors to make repairs to facilities

and equipment. Vendors are often overwhelmed in the months following a

hurricane, so making contact soon after the hurricane is important for an

expedient response.

●

Equipment that was inundated with water should have general and preventative

maintenance done to ensure that it has been returned to working order. Keep all

receipts for parts and labor, as well as a list of any equipment that is determined

to be a total loss.

Ponds and levees

Pond, levee, and road structural repairs should be underway.

Drainage

Drainage ditches and canals should be examined to determine to what extent they

have been silted in by ﬂoodwaters or blocked by downed trees or other debris.

Fish and feed

●

Water supply and aeration should be fully restored across the farm.

●

Continue pond inventories and removal of undesirable ﬁsh species.

●

New feed, replacement production ﬁsh requirements, and broodﬁsh inventories

should be obtained after inventorying ponds, if necessary.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Farm Emergency Plan

APPENDIX

Farm Emergency Plan

Hurricane preparedness can have a direct effect on your farm’s proﬁtability and

long-term survival. For agricultural operations in hurricane-vulnerable regions,

it is critical to have a Farm Emergency Plan in place outlining key tasks and

different people’s roles and responsibilities as you brace for the hurricane. Your

Farm Emergency Plan can save valuable time in a chaotic situation when multiple

challenges clamor for immediate attention, helping you prioritize your actions and

recover from the hurricane as efﬁciently as possible.

Use this sample plan to customize for your operation. Preparation for these tasks—

putting the systems in place—is described in the main guide (see “Emergency

planning” in the Building a Resilient Operation section). Though there is some

overlap with the tasks listed in the Short-Term Preparedness section, this sample

plan is intended to be a document you can use during an actual emergency.

Before the hurricane

Tracking the hurricane

Use your hurricane tracking app. The NOAA National Hurricane Center website is

a good source for keeping up to date on the latest hurricane activities. Learn more

about emergency alerts at the Ready.gov Emergency Alerts website.

Emergency Response Team

●

Gather the members of your farm’s Emergency Response Team, who have been

thoroughly trained in their respective tasks and are knowledgeable about the

hazards found on the farm.

●

Review the chain of command and individuals’ primary and secondary roles

and responsibilities.

●

Discuss modes of communication as well as alternatives in case any

communication channels become unusable during or after the hurricane.

●

Review your farm’s Emergency Contacts List.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Farm Emergency Plan

Employees’ status and location

Review procedures to account for all employees after an emergency evacuation.

Determine who will evacuate and who (if anyone) will stay during the hurricane.

For those who evacuate, establish a schedule for checking in after the hurricane. For

those who stay, be sure they have safe lodging and sufﬁcient food and water and

establish a clear plan for them to check in.

Maps and emergency escape routes

Using the map of your farm with all buildings and contents, review emergency

escape routes and hurricane preparation procedures for each building, facility, and

area of the operation.

Emergency equipment and supplies

Locate the following equipment and supplies:

▬

Emergency medical supplies

▬

Raincoats and boots

▬

Weather-prooﬁng supplies such as tarps and sandbags

▬

Fencing supplies

▬

Plumbing supplies

▬

Lumber, construction tools, nails, and ropes

▬

Portable lights, batteries, and battery-powered or hand-crank radios

Food, water, and cash

●

Make sure there is a 2-week supply of dry and canned food and drinking water

(at least ½ gallon per person per day) stored onsite if personnel will be staying

onsite.

●

Secure cash reserves to use for purchasing supplies after the hurricane.

Facility security

●

Ensure that important documents are in a safe, dry place.

●

Check on the security of rooﬁng and siding materials and windows and doors,

and make sure all other building components are tied down securely.

●

Secure outside objects around your farm, so that they don’t blow away or

become hazardous projectiles.

●

Check drainage ditches and culverts around your facilities for debris.

●

Pump down all water from ditches.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Farm Emergency Plan

Equipment

●

Ensure that all emergency equipment is ready (chainsaws, compressors, heavy

machinery, etc.).

●

Move all non-critical farm equipment to higher elevations or store in secure

buildings.

●

Move fuel and chemicals to a secure place, on high ground if possible.

●

Make sure that farm equipment you will need after the hurricane, such as

tractors with front-end loaders or skid-steer loaders, is fully fueled.

●

Be sure your backup generators are fully operational. Fill the fuel tanks and

portable fuel storage tanks.

Fuel

●

Make sure you have a minimum of a 2-week supply of diesel and gas. Be sure

the supplier understands how much you use daily and that it is necessary for

farm operations. If secure storage facilities are available onsite, arrange for fuel

deliveries several days prior to the expected hurricane impact. Consider fuel

needs for tractors, generators, and farm vehicles.

●

Any fuel stored onsite poses a contamination risk if storage tanks cannot be

adequately protected from anticipated ﬂooding. Move to higher ground or secure

in place.

●

Since fuel may be unavailable if service stations have no power, make sure

portable fuel storage tanks are full.

●

Ensure that tanks containing fuel, fertilizer, and other liquids are kept full and

are tied down.

Backup generators

●

Retrieve backup generators and fuel and place them where needed.

●

Connect generators to critical electrical loads as outlined in your Backup Power

Plan.

Electricity and gas shutdown

●

[Outline the shutdown procedures for electricity and gas, according to

instructions you are given by your utilities and other experts.]

●

[Outline the shutdown procedures for speciﬁc equipment.]

Service or equipment

to be shut down Procedures for shutdown

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Farm Emergency Plan

Immediately after the hurricane

Safety

●

Make safety your ﬁrst priority. Do not rush back into a facility until you are

sure it is safe. Use extreme caution due to the potentially injurious situations

presented by weakened trees and damaged structures, equipment, and electrical

and gas systems.

●

Continue to watch the weather forecast. Are waters still forecast to rise more

than they are now? Some ﬂoodwaters peak up to a week after the hurricane.

Electricity and gas

●

Avoid downed power lines, as these may still be live and present an electrocution

hazard. Operate on the assumption that all downed power lines are live.

Remember that a downed power line on a fence may energize the fence.

●

When restoring electricity to buildings that have ﬂooded, use extreme caution

and consult with an electrician and your power provider. See the Alabama

Cooperative Extension System Restoring Electrical Service website.

●

Natural gas or liquid petroleum (LP) gas leaks can cause deadly explosions.

Check for natural gas or LP gas leaks, and if a leak is suspected, turn off the

main property gas line, evacuate the area, and notify your gas company and the

authorities. Tell employees to stay clear.

Roads and buildings

●

Before entering any buildings, check for levee breaches, rising or incoming

water, and evidence of structural ﬁre or damage.

●

As soon as it is safe, call in the employees needed for inspection and clearing

debris from roads.

●

Cordon off areas that are unsafe.

Security

Watch your farm for unwelcome visitors like looters. Secure your equipment and

farm entrances, and make sure your security cameras are operational.

Insurance and documentation

●

Do not begin cleaning up or repairing damage until you have thoroughly

documented the damage. Contact your insurance adjuster as soon as possible to

decide on the best plan for moving forward with potential damage assessment,

cleanup, and repair.

●

If you have experienced ﬂooding and have ﬂood insurance through the FEMA

National Flood Insurance Program, see their How do I Start My Flood Claim?

website for information about starting a claim.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Emergency Contacts List

Emergency Contacts List

You may customize this for your operation. Delete items

that do not pertain to your commodity or location and add

companies or organizations speciﬁc to your commodity.

Individuals

Name(s) Role(s) Phone number(s) Notes

Owner(s)

Members of the

Emergency Response

Team

Other key employees

or managers

Emergency Services

Organization Name(s) Phone number(s) Notes

Emergency medical

responders

Hospitals

Fire department

Law enforcement

Emergency

management agency

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Emergency Contacts List

Utilities, Roads, and Trees

Organization Name(s) Phone number(s) Notes

Electric utility or

cooperative

Natural gas utility

Water utility

County road

department or State

Department of

Transportation

Insurance Companies

Organization Name(s) Phone number(s) Notes

Commodity insurance

companies

Contractors and Suppliers

Organization Name(s) Phone number(s) Notes

Electrical contractor

Plumbing contractor

Mechanic

Fuel supplier

Generator servicing

Equipment dealer

Equipment rental

company (emergency

generators, lifts, etc.)

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Emergency Contacts List

Federal, State, and County Organizations

Organization Name(s) Phone number(s) Notes

State Department of

Agriculture

Local Extension ofﬁce

County emergency

management agency

County Health

Department

USDA Farm Service

Agency

USDA Natural

Resources

Conservation Service

(NRCS)

U.S. Department of

Homeland Security

Federal Emergency

Management Agency

(FEMA)

State Department

of Agriculture or

agency responsible

for permits and

inspection

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Initial Site Planning

Initial Site Planning

Considerations when deciding on a new location to

establish, purchase, or lease land for ﬁnﬁsh production

Hurricane risk

No model or long-term forecast can determine when and where hurricanes will

strike during any given hurricane season; however, return period maps have

been developed to give a good indication of relative hurricane risk. Return period

maps display the number of years between hurricane events and help quantify

the vulnerability of coastal areas to hurricanes. To learn more about your area’s

hurricane return period, see the NOAA What are the chances a hurricane will hit

my home? website.

It is important to remember that return period maps represent a long-term average

and that even if the average return period for a hurricane is 25 years, hurricanes

can still occur at one spot on successive years or even in the same year. It is

also important to understand that while most data show only where hurricanes

have made landfall, hurricanes can also move hundreds of miles inland causing

signiﬁcant wind damage and ﬂooding.

Use NOAA’s Historical Hurricane Tracks tool for a map and dates of hurricanes

that have impacted your area in the past 150 years. The timing and track of historic

hurricanes may be different than those for future hurricanes and should be used

with caution.

Site characteristics

●

The considerations below could be considered ideal, but they all should be taken

into account when evaluating a potential pond production facility. Sites that

appear suitable for pond-based aquaculture (ﬂat land with high clay-content

soil and abundant water sources) are often particularly vulnerable to hurricane

impacts. Unique challenges will include access, utilities, topography, and

infrastructural considerations.

●

To learn more about site selection considerations, view the USDA SRAC Site

Selection of Levee-type Fish Production Ponds.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Initial Site Planning

Flood risk, storm surge, drainage, and roads

●

Assess historic and predictable patterns of ﬂooding to determine which areas are

at the highest risk of damage during extreme weather.

●

Consult the following Federal and State resources for estimating ﬂood risk:

▬

FEMA Flood Map Service Center website (for ofﬁcial ﬂood maps)

▬

Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Flood Map

website

▬

Florida residents should contact their county government

▬

Georgia Department of Natural Resources Flood Map Program website

▬

Louisiana State University AgCenter FloodMaps Portal website

▬

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Floodplain Management website

▬

North Carolina Flood Risk Information System website

▬

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Flood Mitigation Program

website

▬

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Flood Risk Information

System website

●

Construct aquaculture ponds in elevated areas, avoiding low or ﬂood prone

areas. Look for sites that historically ﬂood no more than ﬁve times in 100 years.

●

To minimize hurricane impacts, choose a site for a ﬁnﬁsh operation that:

▬

Is above the 100-year ﬂood plain in your area

▬

Is far enough inland to avoid coastal storm surge and ﬂooding (typically,

sites that are 15 miles or more from any coastline or water body with a direct

connection to the saltwater)

▬

Is not close to water bodies that could ﬂood or are prone to ﬂooding when

subjected to heavy rains associated with hurricanes and tropical storms

●

To asses your storm surge risk and plan a safe evacuation route, view the NOAA

National Storm Surge Hazard Map.

Topography and drainage

●

Choose a site with surrounding topography that will allow for efﬁcient and rapid

drainage away from the ponds.

●

It is helpful for the site to allow for farm equipment to be easily moved to higher

elevations to avoid ﬂooding during a hurricane.

●

It is also helpful for utilities and other critical infrastructure to be permanently

established on higher ground to avoid equipment and infrastructure damage

during ﬂooding.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Initial Site Planning

Infrastructure

●

Exterior (or perimeter) pond levees and drain pipes should be 20 inches (50 cm)

above the historic high ﬂood level.

●

Choose a site for a ﬁnﬁsh operation that has good road infrastructure that would

allow multiple escape routes when evacuating from hurricanes and tropical

storms.

●

Choose an area with a resilient electrical grid. Avoid relatively isolated sites with

limited access to electrical utilities. It can be advantageous to be near power

plants or electrical substations to minimize frequency and duration of power

outages resulting from hurricanes.

Natural windbreaks

●

Consider the availability of existing, well-rooted trees already onsite for use as

natural windbreaks.

●

Multiple rows of closely spaced trees make the best windbreaks.

●

Some wind reduction occurs at a distance as far as 30 times the height of the

tallest tree in the windbreak.

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Resource Links

Resource Links

Extension, State, and Federal websites

Alabama

Extension Websites Purpose

Fisheries* Resources to help ﬁsheries improve management

and productivity

Extension Ofﬁce Locator* Contact information for Extension agents in your

county

Disaster* Resources to help prepare for and recover from

hurricanes and other disasters

Extension Disaster Education Network

(EDEN)

Information and program resources to help with

hurricane preparedness and recovery

*Alabama Cooperative Extension System

State Websites Purpose

Alabama Governor’s Ofﬁce News and information from the Governor, including

evacuation orders and emergency declarations

Alabama Department of Agriculture and

Industries

Main source for answers to your agriculture-related

questions

Alabama Emergency Management

Agency

News and resources to help you prepare for, respond

to, and recover from emergencies, including

hurricanes

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Resource Links

Florida

Extension Websites Purpose

Aquaculture* Resources to help aquaculture farmers improve

management and productivity

Extension Ofﬁce Locator* Contact information for Extension agents in your

county

Disaster Preparation and Recovery* Resources to help prepare for and recover from

hurricanes and other disasters

Extension Disaster Education Network

(EDEN)

Information and program resources to help with

hurricane preparedness and recovery

*University of Florida IFAS Extension

State Websites Purpose

Florida Governor’s Ofﬁce News and information from the Governor, including

evacuation orders and emergency declarations

Florida Department of Agriculture and

Consumer Services (FDACS)

Main source for answers to your agriculture-related

questions

FDACS Aquaculture Main source for answers to your aquaculture-related

questions

Florida Division of Emergency

Management

News and resources to help you prepare for, respond

to, and recover from emergencies, including

hurricanes

Florida Emergency Response Team Disaster assistance resources for residents

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Resource Links

Georgia

Extension Websites Purpose

Aquaculture* Resources to help improve aquaculture management

and productivity

Extension Ofﬁce Locator* Contact information for Extension agents in your

county

Emergency Resources* Resources to help prepare for and recover from

hurricanes and other disasters

Extension Disaster Education Network

(EDEN)

Information and program resources to help with

hurricane preparedness and recovery

*University of Georgia Cooperative Extension

State Websites Purpose

Georgia Governor’s Ofﬁce News and information from the Governor, including

evacuation orders and emergency declarations

Georgia Department of Agriculture Main source for answers to your agriculture-related

questions

Georgia Emergency Management and

Homeland Security Agency

News and resources to help you prepare for, respond

to, and recover from emergencies, including

hurricanes

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Resource Links

Louisiana

Extension Websites Purpose

Aquaculture* Resources to help aquaculture farmers improve

management and productivity

Extension Ofﬁce Locator* Contact information for Extension agents in your

parish

Disaster Information* Resources to help prepare for and recover from

hurricanes and other disasters

Extension Disaster Education Network

(EDEN)

Information and program resources to help with

hurricane preparedness and recovery

*Louisiana State University AgCenter

State Websites Purpose

Louisiana Governor’s Ofﬁce News and information from the Governor, including

evacuation orders and emergency declarations

Louisiana Department of Agriculture

and Forestry

Main source for answers to your agriculture-related

questions

Louisiana Governor’s Ofﬁce of

Homeland Security and Emergency

Preparedness

News and resources to help you prepare for, respond

to, and recover from emergencies, including

hurricanes

Emergency Louisiana Disaster assistance resources for residents

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Resource Links

Mississippi

Extension Websites Purpose

Extension Ofﬁce Locator* Contact information for Extension agents in your

county

Disaster Preparedness* Resources to help prepare for and recover from

hurricanes and other disasters

Extension Disaster Education Network

(EDEN)

Information and program resources to help with

hurricane preparedness and recovery

*Mississippi State University Extension Service

State Websites Purpose

Mississippi Governor’s Ofﬁce News and information from the Governor, including

evacuation orders and emergency declarations

Mississippi Department of Agriculture

and Commerce

Main source for answers to your agriculture-related

questions

Mississippi Emergency Management

Agency

News and resources to help you prepare for, respond

to, and recover from emergencies, including

hurricanes

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Resource Links

North Carolina

Extension Websites Purpose

Aquaculture* Resources to help aquaculture farmers improve

management and productivity

Extension Ofﬁce Locator* Contact information for Extension agents in your

county

Disaster Information Center* Resources to help prepare for and recover from

hurricanes and other disasters

Extension Disaster Education Network

(EDEN)

Information and program resources to help with

hurricane preparedness and recovery

*North Carolina Cooperative Extension

State Websites Purpose

North Carolina Governor’s Ofﬁce News and information from the Governor, including

evacuation orders and emergency declarations

North Carolina Department of

Agriculture and Consumer Services

(NCDA&CS)

Main source for answers to your agriculture-related

questions

NCDA&CS Marketing—Aquaculture Contact information for the State’s aquaculture

consultants and marketing specialist

North Carolina Department of Public

Safety Emergency Management

News and resources to help you prepare for, respond

to, and recover from emergencies, including

hurricanes

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Resource Links

South Carolina

Extension Websites Purpose

Extension Ofﬁce Locator* Contact information for Extension agents in your

county

Emergency Preparedness and Post

Hurricane Impact Resources*

Resources to help prepare for and recover from

hurricanes and other disasters

Extension Disaster Education Network

(EDEN)

Information and program resources to help with

hurricane preparedness and recovery

*Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service

State Websites Purpose

South Carolina Governor’s Ofﬁce News and information from the Governor, including

evacuation orders and emergency declarations

South Carolina Department of

Agriculture

Main source for answers to your agriculture-related

questions

South Carolina Emergency Management

Division

News and resources to help you prepare for, respond

to, and recover from emergencies, including

hurricanes

Team South Carolina Emergency

Response

Disaster assistance resources for residents

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Resource Links

Virginia

Extension Websites Purpose

Extension Ofﬁce Locator* Contact information for Extension agents in your

county

Disaster Education Network* Resources to help prepare for and recover from

hurricanes and other disasters

Extension Disaster Education Network

(EDEN)

Information and program resources to help with

hurricane preparedness and recovery

*Virginia Cooperative Extension

State Websites Purpose

Virginia Governor’s Ofﬁce News and information from the Governor, including

evacuation orders and emergency declarations

Virginia Department of Agriculture and

Consumer Services

Main source for answers to your agriculture-related

questions

Virginia Department of Emergency

Management

News and resources to help you prepare for, respond

to, and recover from emergencies, including

hurricanes

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Resource Links

State (FSA and NRCS)

State FSA Websites Purpose

USDA FSA Alabama

Focus on State FSA resources, including ﬁnancial

and technical information sharing

USDA FSA Florida

USDA FSA Georgia

USDA FSA Louisiana

USDA FSA Mississippi

USDA FSA North Carolina

USDA FSA South Carolina

USDA FSA Virginia

State NRCS Websites Purpose

USDA NRCS Alabama

Focus on State NRCS resources, including ﬁnancial

and technical information sharing

USDA NRCS Florida

USDA NRCS Georgia

USDA NRCS Louisiana

USDA NRCS Mississippi

USDA NRCS North Carolina

USDA NRCS South Carolina

USDA NRCS Virginia

Hurricane Preparation and Recovery in the Southeast: Finﬁsh Producers Guide

APPENDIX: Resource Links

Federal

Federal Websites Purpose

Ready.gov Hurricanes Resources to help individuals prepare for and

recover from hurricanes

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) News and announcements related to agricultural

commodities and disaster recovery programs

USDA Disaster Resource Center Resources to help you build long-term resilience to

and recover from hurricanes and other disasters

USDA Ofﬁce Locator Contact information for USDA ofﬁces in your

county, including FSA, NRCS, Rural Development,

and Conservation Districts

USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Assistance with securing loans, receiving payments,

and applying for disaster relief programs

USDA Natural Resources

Conservation Service (NRCS)

Financial and technical assistance for

farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners

USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) Assistance with Federal crop insurance and

managing risk

USDA RMA Agent Locator Contact information for local RMA ofﬁces in your

county

U.S. Department of Commerce

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA)

Resources to view historical, current, and predicted

hurricane activity and warnings in your area

NOAA National Hurricane Center Current and forecasted tropical cyclone activity,

educational resources, and advisory warnings for

your area of interest

NOAA National Weather Service

Weather-Ready Nation

Latest news, information, and technology to enable

informed decision making before, during, and after

a hurricane strikes

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Federal Emergency Management Agency

(FEMA)

News and information to help you prepare for and

recover from hurricanes and other disasters

Sink, Todd D.; Lutz, C. Greg; Burtle, Gary J. 2021. Finﬁsh producers guide.

Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-260i. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of

Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 50 p. ht t ps://

doi.org/10.2737/SRS-GTR-260i. (McNulty, Steven; Gavazzi, Michael,

eds. Hurricane preparation and recovery in the Southeastern United

States).

This is 1 of 23 guides to help Southeastern U.S. producers of economically

important agricultural commodities build resilience to, prepare for, and

recover from hurricane impacts. All guides can be found on the USDA

Southeast Climate Hub Hurricane Preparation and Recovery Commodity

Guides website.

https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southeast/

To access this guide, as well as those produced

for other commodities, please visit:

https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southeast/topics/

Southeast Climate Hub

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations

and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, ofﬁces, and employees,

and institutions participating in or administering USDA

programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race,

color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender

expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/

parental status, income derived from a public assistance program,

political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity,

in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases

apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint ﬁling deadlines vary by

program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of

communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print,

audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the

responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice

and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800)

877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in

languages other than English.

To ﬁle a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA

Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at

http://www. ascr.usda.gov/complaint_ﬁling_cust.html and at any

USDA ofﬁce or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the

letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of

the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form

or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ofﬁce

of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue,

SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email:

program.intake@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.