USDA Designates 24 Texas 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.

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: Texas

Triggering Disaster #1: Drought (Fast Track)

Application Deadline: May 6, 2024

Primary Counties Eligible: Collin, Panola, Rusk, and Smith

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible: Cherokee, Dallas, Denton, Fannin, Grayson, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hunt, Nacogdoches, Rockwall, Shelby, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood 

Louisiana: Caddo and De Soto

Impacted Area: Texas

Triggering Disaster #2: Drought (Fast Track)

Application Deadline: May 13, 2024

Primary Counties Eligible: Brewster, Culberson, Ellis, El Paso, Freestone, Harrison, Henderson, Jeff Davis, Loving, Navarro, Presidio, and Reeves

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible: Anderson, Cherokee, Dallas, Gregg, Hill, Hudspeth, Johnson, Kaufman, Leon, Limestone, Marion, Panola, Pecos, Rusk, Smith, Tarrant, Terrell, Upshur, Van Zandt, Ward, and Winkler

Louisiana: Caddo

New Mexico: Dona Ana, Eddy, Lea, and Otero

Impacted Area: Texas

Triggering Disaster #3: Drought (Fast Track)

Application Deadline: May 20, 2024

Primary Counties Eligible: Archer, Baylor, Hudspeth, Hunt, Jack, Kaufman, Rockwall, and Van Zandt

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible: Clay, Collin, Culberson, Dallas, Delta, Ellis, El Paso, Fannin, Foard, Haskell, Henderson, Hopkins, Jeff Davis, Knox, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Presidio, Rains, Smith, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Wise, Wood, and Young

New Mexico: Otero

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.