Trump signs $19 billion disaster relief bill

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Trump signs $19 billion disaster relief bill

This $19 billion disaster relief package could provide funds to growers who lost much of their crop and trees to hurricanes and flooding in 2017 and 2018. (Photos by Catherine Clark)

After a long delay, President Donald Trump signed the $19 billion disaster relief bill early Thursday morning, which will give funds to states and territories damaged by natural disasters.

Along with Puerto Rico, a number of states, including California, Georgia, Florida, and Iowa, will receive aid through this package after being ravaged by hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, and earthquakes. Although the exact details of the bipartisan relief package have yet to be released, a brief summary can be found here and provides a picture of how the money will be distributed.

So, what does this mean for pecans?

Well, pecan growers across the pecan belt—specifically in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, and California—can expect to receive some funds to mitigate the losses they experienced due to storms. The relief package also includes funds to rebuild infrastructure, assist in community healing, and restore watersheds as a prevention effort for future flooding and storms.

Author Photo

Catherine Clark

Catherine Clark is the managing editor of Pecan South. She has her M.S. in Journalism from the University of Southern California, and her B.A. in Communication and Spanish from Trinity University. For questions, comments or concerns, she can be reached at cclark@pecansouthmagazine.com.