05/14/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/14/2026 13:20
This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, these counties suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season of 1) D2 Drought-Severe for 8 or more consecutive weeks or 2) D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional.
Triggering Disaster #1
Impacted Area: Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, and Texas
Triggering Disaster: Drought, Fast-Track
Application Deadline: January 6, 2027
Primary Counties Eligible:
Oklahoma: Cimarron, Ellis, Woodward
Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:
Oklahoma: Beaver, Dewey, Harper, Major, Roger Mills, Texas, and Woods
Colorado: Baca
Kansas: Morton
New Mexico: Union
Texas: Dallam, Hemphill, Lipscomb, Sherman
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Triggering Disaster #2
Impacted Area: New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas
Triggering Disaster: Drought, Fast-Track
Application Deadline: January 6, 2027
Primary Counties Eligible:
Texas: Andrews, Armstrong, Carson, Dallam, Donely, Ector, Gray, Hansford, Haskell, Hemphill, Hill, Hutchinson, Lipscomb, Moore, Ochiltree, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Swisher, and Wheeler
Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:
New Mexico: Lea and Union
Oklahoma: Beaver, Beckham, Cimarron, Ellis, Roger Mills, and Texas
Texas: Baylor, Bosque, Briscoe, Castro, Collingsworth, Crane, Deaf Smith, Ellis, Flloyd, Gaines, Hale, Hartley, Johnson, Jones, King, Knox, Limestone, McLennan, Martin, Midland, Navarro, Oldham, Shackelford, Sherman, Stonewall, Throckmorton, Upton, Ward, and Winkler
More Resources
On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Loan Assistance Tool can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local USDA Service Center.