USDA Designates 68 Counties in Ohio as Primary Natural Disaster Areas with Assistance to Producers in Surrounding States

DATE: 12/4/15

Contact:
Latawnya Dia
202-690-7962
Latawnya.Dia@wdc.usda.gov

USDA Designates 68 Counties in Ohio as Primary Natural Disaster Areas with Assistance to Producers in Surrounding States

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2015 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 68 Ohio counties as primary natural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by the combined effects of excessive rain, flash flooding, flooding, excessive heat, landslides, mudslides, high winds, hail and lightning that occurred during the period of March 1, 2015, through Aug. 25, 2015.

Those counties are:

Adams	Fulton	Logan	Portage
Allen	Gallia	Lorain	Preble
Ashtabula	Geauga	Lucas	Putnam
Auglaize	Greene	Marion	Sandusky
Belmont	Guernsey	Medina	Shelby
Brown	Hamilton	Meigs	Stark
Butler	Hancock	Mercer	Summit
Carroll	Hardin	Monroe	Trumbull
Clermont	Harrison	Montgomery	Tuscarawas
Clinton	Henry	Morgan	Union
Columbiana	Highland	Morrow	Van Wert
Coshocton	Holmes	Muskingum	Vinton
Crawford	Jackson	Noble	Warren
Defiance	Knox	Ottawa	Washington
Delaware	Lake	Paulding	Wayne
Fairfield	Lawrence	Perry	Wood
Fayette	Licking	Pickaway	Wyandot

“Our hearts go out to those Ohio farmers and ranchers affected by recent natural disasters,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “President Obama and I are committed to ensuring that agriculture remains a bright spot in our nation’s economy by sustaining the successes of America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities through these difficult times. We’re also telling Ohio producers that USDA stands with you and your communities when severe weather and natural disasters threaten to disrupt your livelihood.”

Farmers and ranchers in the following counties in Ohio also qualify for disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous.

Those counties are:

Ashland	Darke	Jefferson	Richland
Athens	Erie	Madison	Ross
Champaign	Franklin	Mahoning	Scioto
Clark	Hocking	Miami	Seneca
Cuyahoga	Huron	Pike	Williams

Farmers and ranchers in the following counties in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia also qualify for disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous. Those counties are:

Indiana

Adams	Dearborn	Franklin	Union
Allen	DeKalb	Jay	Wayne

Kentucky

Boone	Campbell	Lewis
Boyd	Greenup	Mason
Bracken	Kenton	Pendleton

Michigan

Hillsdale

Lenawee

Monroe

Pennsylvania

Beaver	Erie	Mercer
Crawford	Lawrence

West Virginia

Cabell	Marshall	Pleasants	Wetzel
Hancock	Mason	Tyler	Wood
Jackson	Ohio	Wayne

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas on Nov. 19, 2015, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.

Other FSA programs that can provide assistance, but do not require a disaster declaration, include the Emergency Conservation Program, The Livestock Forage Disaster Program, the Livestock Indemnity Program, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program, and the Tree Assistance Program. Interested farmers may contact their local USDA Service Centers for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

FSA news releases are available on FSA’s website at www.fsa.usda.gov via the “Newsroom” link.

#
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users)