USDA Prepared To Help Michael Victims

When the official tally comes in, Hurricane Michael could be the most destructive storm to hit the Florida panhandle in decades.  Florida Governor Rick Scott said they expect to see wide-spread damage and flooding from the storm for some time.  Steve Horton runs emergency programs for the agriculture department's food and nutrition service.   He said FEMA will come in first with meals.

"And those meals may be shelf-stable meals that don't require electricity, don't require heat to serve, it will maybe come with their own heating element and can be given to people immediately following the storm."

Then the USDA comes in.  Horton said USDA buys food for school breakfast and lunch programs, and state emergency personnel have been busy checking those food inventories, noting where that food is stored, and in the case of Michael,

"They can release those foods from their state inventories for feeding and things like shelters the Red Cross has opened, mobile kitchens, Salvation Army and other volunteer organizations set up."

And later USDA will replace that food when things settle down.

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