“When Disaster Becomes the Norm: Climate Risk and the Future of Northeast Agriculture” documents how the region’s agricultural sector confronts increasing weather extremes without reliable federal support or insurance coverage.
The U.S. now averages 19 disasters costing more than $1 billion annually, up from three per year in the 1980s, according to the report. New York alone experienced an average of six billion-dollar disasters per year from 2020 through 2024, compared to two per year since 1980.
The Northeast has warmed more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the early 1900s and experienced a 60% increase in extreme precipitation days, the report states. Federal tracking systems exclude many regional floods, hailstorms and frosts that cause hundreds of millions in damage.
Most Northeast farmers lack crop insurance. Connecticut has 7% of farms insured, Massachusetts 11%, and New Hampshire 5%. Nationally, only 9% of farms smaller than 50 acres carry insurance.
From 2001 to 2022, weather-related insurance payouts nationwide reached $118.7 billion. Drought-related payments increased 690%, while heat-related payouts rose 1,012%.
Connecticut flooding in July 2023 destroyed more than 1,500 acres of farmland and caused over $21 million in crop losses. Vermont experienced catastrophic flooding the same month during peak harvest season. One Connecticut farmer lost 115 of 120 acres to flooding, expecting $500,000 in uninsured losses after laying off employees.
Federal response faces staffing shortages. The USDA’s Farm Service Agency, which administers disaster payments, lost 43% of staff between 2005 and 2025. The Natural Resources Conservation Service, providing technical assistance for climate resilience, dropped to 9,000 employees by November 2025, the lowest since 2019.
Disaster declaration approvals now take more than a month, compared to two weeks in the 1990s through early 2000s.
The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, designed for farmers unable to access traditional insurance, has earned the nickname “Not A Penny” for difficult navigation. Applications dropped from 95,000 to 54,000 between 2017 and 2022.
Some states developed alternatives. Massachusetts allocated $20 million in 2023 disaster relief, paying 347 farms before year’s end. A public-private partnership distributed $3 million to 294 farms through staged payments.
“Farmers in the Northeast struggle with barriers to crop insurance, delayed and inaccessible federal aid and increasingly unpredictable weather,” said Hank Tremblay, Farm Aid policy and advocacy manager.
The report recommends establishing permanent state-level disaster funds, reducing assistance barriers and ensuring farmers help design support programs. BIPOC farmers face disproportionate impacts due to historic inequities in land access, the report notes.
