USDA Designates 3 Kentucky Counties as Contiguous Natural Disaster Areas Due to Drought and Excessive Heat

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.

Impacted Area: Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.

Triggering Disaster: Drought and excessive heat.

Application Deadline: 7/15/2025.

Primary Counties Eligible:

• Virginia: Accomack, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Bland, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charles, Chesterfield, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Essex, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Gloucester, Grayson, Greensville, Halifax, Hanover, Henrico, Henry, James City, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery, New Kent, Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway, Orange, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Pulaski, Richmond, Rockbridge, Russell, Smyth, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Sussex, Tazewell, Washington, Westmoreland, Wise, Wythe, York, Suffolk.

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

• Kentucky: Harlan, Letcher, Pike.

• Maryland: Charles, St. Mary's, Somerset, Worcester.

• North Carolina: Alleghany, Ashe, Camden, Caswell, Gates, Granville, Hertford, Northampton, Person, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Vance, Warren.

• Tennessee: Johnson, Sullivan.

• Virginia: Albemarle, Alleghany, Augusta, Bath, Botetourt, Brunswick, Charlotte, Craig, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Goochland, Greene, Isle of Wight, Lee, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Nelson, Patrick, Prince William, Rappahannock, Roanoke, Scott, Surry, Bristol, Buena Vista, Chesapeake, Colonial Heights, Danville, Emporia, Franklin, Fredericksburg, Galax, Hampton, Hopewell, Lexington, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Newport News, Norfolk, Norton, Petersburg, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Radford, Richmond, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg.

• West Virginia: McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Summers.

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.