Iowa farmers feed the nation and fuel the world. They work hard every day, but when disaster hits, decades of investment can be wiped out in minutes.
Zoom out: Over the last five years, Iowa farmers lost more than $1.5 billion in crops to natural disasters. The Greenfield tornado alone caused $31 million in damage. This is part of a growing trend of severe storms disrupting entire rural economies.
Why it matters: When a disaster strikes, it doesn’t just hit crops — it devastates communities, disrupts supply chains, and shakes the foundation of Iowa’s economy.
But right now, federal recovery programs only restore land to its pre-disaster condition. That’s not enough.
The problem: Federal disaster aid doesn’t allow farmers to rebuild stronger. Without the tools to prepare for future disasters, farmers are stuck repeating the same painful cycle as millions worth of farm products are wiped out every year.
The solution: We just introduced the Protecting Farmers from Natural Disasters Act — a bipartisan bill to strengthen the USDA’s Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program and give farmers the flexibility to rebuild better. Our bill would:
✅ Invest in the long-term resilience of Iowa’s fields and watersheds
✅ Make resources available immediately after a disaster
✅ Allow farmers to upgrade, not just repair, damaged landÂ
Bottom Line: When disaster strikes, Iowa farmers don’t need a patch — they need a plan to build back stronger and more resilient. This bill gives them one.