USDA Designates Meigs County, Ohio as Primary Natural Disaster Areas for Drought – with Additional Ohio and West Virginia Counties Eligible as Contiguous Counties

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to farm operators in primary counties and contiguous counties through FSA emergency loan assistance.  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. The deadline for producers in designated primary and contiguous counties to apply for loans is April 21, 2025.

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.

Impacted Area: Ohio

Triggering Disaster: Drought

Application Deadline: April 21, 2025

Primary Counties Eligible:

Ohio – Meigs County

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

Ohio – Athens, Gallia and Lawrence Counties

West Virginia – Jackson, Mason and Wood Counties

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.