USDA Announces Emergency Aid for Texas Livestock

The Texas Panhandle is one of those areas where it is the beef capital of the world, and when devastating natural disasters hit, it can cripple an economy. In 2023 and 2024, the Texas Panhandle was affected by floods and wildfires.

How Floods Devastated the Texas Panhandle

In 2023, torrential rain settled over the Texas Panhandle, dropping inches of rain without letting up.  Amarillo and the surrounding areas were all flooded.  Areas like the Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge flooded, filling the dry lake for the first time in decades. It also flooded normally dry creeks, including Tierra Blanca Creek, sending floods into Hereford.

The Hereford flood devastated the community and flooded nearby feedlots. These floods killed thousands of head of cattle.

The Smokehouse Creek Fire and Its Impact

In February 2024, the Texas Panhandle experienced the worst wildfire in Texas history and the second worst in the U.S. The Smokehouse Creek Fire destroyed over a million acres and more than 15,000 head of cattle.

Livestock producers are still feeling the effects of these losses even a year or two later.

However, help is now available for those affected by the floods and wildfires.

The United States Department of Agriculture announced that $1 billion in funds will be available to livestock producers through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program for 2023 and 2024 (ELRP).

How the USDA’s ELRP Works

The ELRP has two programs:

• ELRP 2023 and 2024 Drought and Wildfire - available to those who suffered grazing losses due to drought and wildfire in 2023.
• ELRP 2023 and 2024 Flood and Wildfire - helps offset the increased supplemental feed costs due to floods and wildfires.

Each program has different eligibility requirements and compensation for different losses due to these natural disasters.

Read More: Texas Seeks to Form Super Squad to Fight Wildfires Smarter!

Who Qualifies for ELRP Assistance?

Now through October 21, 2025, livestock producers can apply for assistance. Applicants must own eligible livestock and meet disaster event criteria. There is a list of approved counties that are eligible for assistance.

Livestock producers outside approved counties may still qualify, but must provide documentation, such as photographs, insurance documentation, emergency reports, etc., to prove they were affected by a flood or wildfire.

These funds are available to livestock producers nationwide, but they are especially critical for those in the Texas Panhandle following the devastating wildfires that swept the region from February 26 to March 16, 2024.

Read More: These Are the Actual Dangers Tumbleweeds Pose to Texans

How to Apply for ELRP Relief Funds

For those livestock producers who wish to apply, you can visit the ELRP.