USDA Designates Multiple Kentucky Counties as Natural Disaster Areas

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: Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee

Triggering Disaster S6072:Drought (Fast-Track)

Application Deadline: May 22, 2026

Primary Counties Eligible:

• Missouri: Butler, Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, and Stoddard

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

• Missouri: Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Ripley, Scott and Wayne

• Arkansas: Clay, Craighead, Greene, and Mississippi

• Illinois: Alexander

• Kentucky: Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, and Hickman

• Tennessee: Dyer and Lake

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Triggering Disaster # 2

Impacted Area: Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri

Triggering Disaster S6077:Drought (Fast-Track)

Application Deadline: May 26, 2026

Primary Counties Eligible:

• Tennessee: Crockett, Dyer, Gibson, Henry, Lake, Lauderdale, Montgomery, Obion, Weakley

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

• Tennessee: Benton, Carroll, Cheatham, Dickson, Haywood, Houston, Madison, Robertson, Stewart, Tipton

• Arkansas: Mississippi

• Kentucky: Calloway, Christian, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Todd

• Missouri: New Madrid, Pemiscot

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Triggering Disaster #3

Impacted Area: Kentucky, Tennessee

Triggering Disaster S6081:Drought (Fast-Track)

Application Deadline: 06/01/2026

Primary Counties Eligible:

• Kentucky: Lyon, Marshall, Trigg

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

• Kentucky: Caldwell, Calloway, Christian, Crittenden, Graves, Livingston, McCracken

• Tennessee: Stewart,

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Triggering Disaster #4

Impacted Area: Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi

Triggering Disaster S6087:Drought (Fast-Track)

Application Deadline: 06/01/2026

Primary Counties Eligible:

• Tennessee: Benton, Chester, Hardeman, Haywood, McNairy, Madison, Stewart

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

• Tennessee: Carroll, Crockett, Decatur, Fayette, Gibson, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Houston, Humphreys, Lauderdale, Montgomery, Perry, Tipton

• Kentucky: Calloway, Christian, Trigg

• Mississippi: Alcorn, Benton, Tippah

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.

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