Another derecho weather event has farmers assessing damage this week. American Farm Bureau Federation Government Affairs Director RJ Layher says the storm impacted northern Plains and Midwest states.
“States affected by the derecho that happened on July 5 were South Dakota, Iowa, parts of southern Minnesota, Northern Illinois and parts of southwestern Wisconsin.”
Any producers that discovers a loss or possible loss stemming from the storm, Layher says should contact their insurance agent within 72 hours of discovery.
“This will go ahead and get the claims process started. Should there be a loss, the producers AIP will discuss the options with them, and if need be, send a loss adjuster to come out and work that producer’s claim. Seeing that this derecho was a month earlier in the growing season than the one we had in 2020, I got a feeling some of these crops may bounce back. If those crops are taken to harvest, producers will still need to follow good farming practices. However, in the case that a crop will not be taken to harvest, that producer’s AIP will work with them to identify check strips that they can use for future appraisals.”
He adds this recent storm serves as a reminder that all farmers should be prepared for future emergencies.
“Every storm is going to have different impacts on different producers. No two producers are going to be in the same position. Those producers need to make sure that they talk with their agent and anybody else that helps them make business decisions and they need to do whatever’s best that fits their operations.”
