USDA Designates 16 Alabama Counties as Primary 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.

Impacted Area: Alabama

Triggering Disaster: Freezing temperatures that occurred from March 18, 2023 to March 20, 2023

Application Deadline: Jan. 25, 2024

Primary Counties Eligible: Baldwin, Blount, Chilton, Clarke, Cullman, Elmore, Escambia, Etowah, Henry, Houston, Mobile, Montgomery, Morgan, Russell, Tallapoosa and Washington

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

Alabama: Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Bullock, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Choctaw, Clay, Conecuh, Coosa, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, DeKalb, Geneva, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Macon, Madison, Marengo, Marshall, Monroe, Perry, Pike, Randolph, St. Clair, Shelby, Walker, Wilcox and Winston 

Florida: Escambia, Jackson, Okaloosa and Santa Rosa

Georgia: Chattahoochee, Clay, Early, Muscogee, Seminole and Stewart

Mississippi: George, Greene, Jackson and Wayne

 

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.