03/28/2024
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2015 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 19 counties in North Carolina as primary natural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rain and flooding that occurred from Sept. 22, 2015, through Oct. 4, 2015. Those counties are:

Alleghany Columbus Hyde Sampson
Ashe Craven Jones Tyrrell
Beaufort Dare Martin Washington
Brunswick Duplin Onslow Wilkes
Carteret Edgecombe Pender

“Our hearts go out to those North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous. Those counties are:

Alexander Currituck Nash Robeson
Bertie Halifax New Hanover Surry
Bladen Harnett Pamlico Watauga
Caldwell Iredell Pasquotank Wayne
Camden Johnston Perquimans Wilson
Chowan Lenoir Pitt Yadkin
Cumberland

Farmers and ranchers in the following counties in South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia also qualify for natural disaster assistance because their counties are contiguous. Those counties are:

South Carolina
Dillon and Horry

Tennessee
Johnson
Virginia
Grayson

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas on Oct. 21, 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.

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