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USDA Designates Mellette County, South Dakota as Primary Natural Disaster Area

Emergency Designation
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South Dakota
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Release Date
October 29, 2024

Six Additional South Dakota Counties also Eligible for Assistance

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: South Dakota

Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast-Track)

Application Deadline: June 23, 2025 

Primary Counties Eligible: Mellette

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible: Bennett, Jackson, Jones, Lyman, Todd, and Tripp

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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Farm Service Agency:

1400 Independence Ave. 
SW Washington, DC 20250 
 

Contact:

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