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USDA Designates Eighteen Maryland Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas for Drought; Additional Contiguous Disaster Counties also located in Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia

Emergency Designation
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Maryland
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Release Date
April 10, 2025

USDA Designates Eighteen Maryland Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas for Drought; Additional Contiguous Disaster Counties also located in Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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 eight or more consecutive weeks or 2) D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional.

Disaster #1:

Impacted Area: Maryland
Triggering Disaster: Drought

Application Deadline: November 25, 2025 

Primary Counties Eligible: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Garrett, Kent, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester in Maryland.

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

Maryland: Carroll, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Washington, Baltimore

Delaware: Kent, New Castle, Sussex

D.C.: District of Columbia

Pennsylvania: Bedford, Chester, Fayette, Fulton, Lancaster, Somerset, York

Virginia: Accomack, Fairfax, King George, Prince William, Stafford, Westmoreland, Alexandria

West Virginia: Grant, Hampshire, Mineral, Morgan, Preston

 

Disaster #2:

Impacted Area: Maryland 
Triggering Disaster: Drought

Application Deadline: November 25, 2025 

Primary Counties Eligible:  Accomack, Caroline, Essex, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Middlesex, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland Counties in Virginia. 

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

Maryland: Charles, St. Mary’s, Somerset, Worcester 

Virginia: Gloucester, Hanover, James City, Mathews, New Kent, Northampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford 

 

Disaster #3:

Impacted Area: Maryland
Triggering Disaster: Drought

Application Deadline: December 2, 2025 

Primary Counties Eligible: Carroll County

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

Maryland: Baltimore, Frederick, Howard 

Pennsylvania: Adams and York

 

More Resources

On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery ToolDisaster 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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SW Washington, DC 20250 
 

Contact:

FPAC Press Desk
FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov