The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has officially issued a Secretarial natural disaster designation for numerous counties across Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. This fast-track designation is triggered by significant drought conditions recorded by the U.S. Drought Monitor, specifically in areas that have experienced at least eight consecutive weeks of D2 (Severe Drought) or higher-intensity D3 (Extreme) and D4 (Exceptional) drought during the growing season.
This designation allows the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) to provide emergency credit to agricultural producers through emergency loans. These funds are designed to assist in the recovery process, covering essential needs such as replacing livestock and equipment, reorganizing farming operations, or refinancing specific debts.
The FSA will evaluate loan applications based on the extent of the losses suffered, the producer’s repayment ability, and the available security.
Impacted Areas and Eligibility
The designation covers a wide geographic range, identifying both primary counties and contiguous counties where producers may be eligible for assistance.
Texas Primary Counties: Briscoe, Childress, Clay, Cottle, Falls, Fisher, Freestone, Glasscock, Hale, Hall, Hardeman, Harrison, Henderson, Hockley, Howard, Jefferson, Kent, King, Knox, Lamb, Limestone, Martin, Midland, Mitchell, Navarro, Newton, Orange, Scurry, Smith, Stonewall, Van Zandt, Walker, Wichita, and Yoakum.
Texas Contiguous Counties: Anderson, Andrews, Archer, Armstrong, Bailey, Baylor, Bell, Borden, Castro, Chambers, Cherokee, Cochran, Coke, Collingsworth, Crosby, Dawson, Dickens, Donley, Ector, Ellis, Floyd, Foard, Gaines, Garza, Gregg, Grimes, Hardin, Haskell, Hill, Houston, Hunt, Jack, Jasper, Jones, Kaufman, Leon, Liberty, Lubbock, Lynn, McLennan, Madison, Marion, Milam, Montague, Montgomery, Motley, Nolan, Panola, Parmer, Rains, Reagan, Robertson, Rusk, Sabine, San Jacinto, Sterling, Swisher, Taylor, Terry, Throckmorton, Trinity, Upshur, Upton, Wilbarger, and Wood.
Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, and Oklahoma:
- Kansas Primary: Cheyenne and Meade.
- Kansas Contiguous: Clark, Ford, Gray, Haskell, Rawlins, Seward, and Sherman.
- Colorado Contiguous: Kit Carson and Yuma.
- Nebraska Contiguous: Dundee.
- Oklahoma Primary and Contiguous: Beaver, Cotton, Harmon, Jackson, Jefferson, and Tillman.
- Louisiana Contiguous: Beauregard, Caddo, Calcasieu, Cameron, Sabine, and Vernon.
- New Mexico Contiguous: Lea.
Application and Resources
Producers located in the designated areas have until December 24, 2026, to apply for emergency loan assistance.
To explore available options, the USDA offers several online resources, including the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, the Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and the Loan Assistance Tool on farmers.gov. For specific questions or to file a Notice of Loss, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center.
