Rockingham County has declared a local state of emergency due to last weekend's winter storm and its impacts on farmers. WMRA's Randi B. Hagi reports.
The accumulation of ice on top of snow has destroyed a number of farm structures throughout the county. Jeremy Daubert, the Rockingham County Extension dairy agent, is collecting reports of the damage.
JEREMY DAUBERT: We've had quite a few buildings collapse, over 20 poultry barns that have collapsed along with some greenhouses and some other outbuildings and farm buildings. … Some of the houses, unfortunately, all the birds didn't make it. A lot of the people that I talked to were able to save large portions of the birds and move them to a different house, so it just depended on how the building collapsed, if the whole building did or just pieces of it.
He said a total tally of the damage will help determine what financial resources are available to farmers to rebuild.
DAUBERT: Because it's been so cold and going to be so cold all week, we're not going to have any melting, so I think we don't have a full picture yet. I just talked to somebody who, their barn just collapsed this morning from the storm on Sunday. … So I think it'll be another week or two, at least, until we have a full picture of all the damages.
Daubert is seeking a comprehensive picture of the storm's impact, including reports from those who often do not seek government assistance, such as the Old Order Mennonite community.
DAUBERT: We're looking for the total, actual damages done, whether they're getting paid from insurance or they're going to self-fund or they might be looking for government funding in the future.
Meteorologists are warning another winter storm may develop along the East Coast this weekend. Daubert said any additional precipitation that falls before farmers get their roofs cleaned off could cause more damage.
