The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) has issued Secretarial natural disaster designations across multiple states, opening up emergency credit for agricultural producers recovering from severe drought and hail damage.
Because several primary disaster areas border Oklahoma, producers in seven Oklahoma counties are now eligible to apply for FSA emergency loans as contiguous counties, alongside farmers and ranchers in Colorado, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, and New Mexico.
Emergency loans can be used to meet a variety of recovery needs, including replacing essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganizing a farming operation, or refinancing certain debts. The FSA reviews all loan applications based on the extent of losses, available security, and repayment ability.
Drought Designations (Fast-Track) According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the following designated counties suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season of either D2 (Drought-Severe) for eight or more consecutive weeks, or D3 (Drought-Extreme) or D4 (Drought-Exceptional). The application deadline for both drought designations is June 21, 2027.
Colorado Impacted Area
- Primary Counties Eligible (Colorado): Baca, Lincoln
- Contiguous Counties Eligible:
- Oklahoma: Cimarron
- Colorado: Arapahoe, Bent, Cheyenne, Crowley, Elbert, El Paso, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Las Animas, Prowers, Pueblo, Washington
- Kansas: Morton, Stanton
- New Mexico: Union
Texas Impacted Area
- Primary Counties Eligible (Texas): Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Grayson, Montague, Parker, Tarrant, Upton, Wise
- Contiguous Counties Eligible:
- Oklahoma: Bryan, Jefferson, Love, Marshall
- Texas: Clay, Crane, Crockett, Ector, Fannin, Glasscock, Henderson, Hill, Hood, Hunt, Jack, Johnson, Kaufman, Midland, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Reagan, Rockwall
Hail Designation A separate Secretarial disaster designation was issued due to hail damage, carrying an application deadline of June 27, 2027.
Arkansas and Oklahoma Impacted Area
- Primary County Eligible (Arkansas): Crawford
- Contiguous Counties Eligible:
- Oklahoma: Adair, Sequoyah
- Arkansas: Franklin, Madison, Sebastian, Washington
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.
