A coalition of California lawmakers is requesting a disaster recovery package to aid California farms and ranches devastated by historic storms earlier this year.
The coalition, which includes Representatives Jim Costa, Jimmy Panetta and Zoe Lofgren, made the request in a letter to House leadership.
The letter states, “We, therefore, request a disaster recovery package be swiftly put together to allow the rebuilding and recovery process to begin,” From December 27, 2022, to January 16, 2023, California had nine atmospheric rivers–each of which held as much water as a hurricane–producing powerful storms.
Areas of California saw more than $500 million in estimated flood and storm damage to agricultural operations.
Subsequent storms in California from February through March complicate recovery efforts further–with claims filed with the Farm Service Agency already numbering more than 1,000 and assessments still ongoing.
California has more agricultural production than any other state in the union, with nearly 70,000 farms operated on 24.3 million acres.
