Disaster Designations Made for Three States

November 2, 2000

USDA has named 37 Michigan counties as eligible for USDA emergency farm loans because of losses caused by excessive rainfall, flash flooding, hail, and high winds, that occurred this spring. In addition, the entire states of Arkansas and Wyoming also were designated disaster areas.

In Michigan, Allegan, Berrien, Cass, Huron, Isabella, Jackson, Lapeer, Lenawee, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, Tuscola, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties were named as primary disaster areas today. Also eligible, because they are contiguous, are Barry, Bay, Calhoun, Clare, Eaton, Genesee, Gladwin, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Kalamazoo, Kent, Livingston, Mecosta, Midland, Monroe, Montcalm, Osceola, Ottawa, Saginaw, Sanilac, St. Joseph, and Van Buren Counties in Michigan; Elkhart, La Porte, and St. Joseph Counties in Indiana; and Fulton and Lucas Counties in Ohio. High temperatures and drought were blamed for the Arkansas disaster. All counties were named as primary disaster areas. Also eligible, because they are contiguous are Bossier, Claiborne, Caddo, and Webster Counties in Louisiana; Barry, Butler, Dunklin, Howell, McDonald, Oregon, Ozark, Pemiscot, Ripley, Stone, and Taney Counties in Missouri; and Dyer, Lauderdale, Shelby, and Tipton Counties in Tennessee. Wildfire, drought and dangerous fire conditions are blamed for the conditions in Wyoming. All counties in Wyoming, except Teton, were named as primary disaster areas. Also eligible, because they are contiguous, are Jackson, Larimer, Moffat, Routt, and Weld Counties in Colorado; Bear Lake, Bonneville, and Caribou Counties in Idaho; Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, park, Powder River Counties, and the Yellowstone National Park jurisdiction in Montana, Banner, Kimball, Scotts Bluff, and Sioux Counties in Nebraska; Butte, Custer, Fall River, Lawrence, and Pennington Counties in South Dakota; Daggett, Rich, and Summit Counties in Utah; and Teton County in Wyoming.

The designations make all qualified family-sized farm operators in both primary and contiguous counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans from USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA). Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of this declaration to apply for the 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, repayment ability7 and other eligibility requirements.