USDA Designates 15 Virginia County as a Natural Disaster Area with 2 Contiguous Counties in North Carolina

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.

Impacted Area: Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia

Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast-Track)

Application Deadline: May 10, 2027

Primary Counties Eligible:
•Virginia: Buchanan, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dickenson, Henrico, Isle of Wright, James City, Lee, New Kent, Prince George, Scott, Surry, Wise, York, and Suffolk

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:
• Virginia: Amelia, Dinwiddie, Gloucester, Goochland, Hanover, King and Queen, King William, Powhatan, Russell, Southampton, Sussex, Tazewell, Washington, Chesapeake, Colonial Heights, Franklin, Hampton, Hopewell, Newport News, Norton, Petersburg, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Richmond, and Williamsburg
• Kentucky: Bell, Harlan, Letcher, and Pike
• North Carolina: Camden and Gates
• Tennessee: Claiborne, Hancock, Hawkins, and Sullivan
• West Virginia: McDowell and Mingo

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.