USDA declares disaster areas for 22 Ohio counties due to drought

An unusually dry and hot summer in Ohio has caught the attention of the federal government.

The USDA on Tuesday declared 22 counties in Ohio as disaster areas due to the state’s ongoing drought, making farmers eligible to apply for emergency loans from the federal government.

Which counties in Ohio are under a disaster declaration?

The counties listed on the USDA declaration include:

Athens, Belmont, Fairfield, Fayette, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Vinton and Washington counties.

According to a USDA news release, all of these counties experienced eight or more consecutive weeks of severe drought, and in some cases the drought was extreme or exceptional, making them disaster areas.

For the first time in Ohio history, two counties, Athens and Meigs, are facing extreme drought conditions. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, this is the most severe drought ever recorded.

In addition to these 22 “core” counties, farmers in 18 neighboring counties are also eligible for emergency loans. These include Adams, Brown, Carroll, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Columbiana, Coshocton, Franklin, Greene, Lawrence, Licking, Meigs, Scioto, Tuscarawas and Union counties.

How do USDA Emergency Loans work?

According to the USDA, farmers can borrow up to $500,000 at 3.75% interest to rebuild or replace major property, cover production costs in a disaster year, cover basic family expenses, reorganize a family farm operation or refinance non-real estate farm debt.

Only farm owners or tenants who intend to continue agricultural activity may apply for loans.

Eligible farmers can apply on the USDA website.

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