LEWISTON, ID – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated five eastern Washington counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas for drought. They include Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties along with their contiguous counties of Adams, Benton, Franklin, Lincoln, and Spokane in Washington; Nez Perce, Latah, and Beneway counties in Idaho; and Wallowa and Umatilla counties in Oregon.
From USDA:
This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, these counties suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season of 1) D2 Drought-Severe for eight or more consecutive weeks or 2) D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional.
Impacted Area: Washington
Triggering Disaster: Drought
Application Deadline: 5/20/2024
Primary Counties Eligible: Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, Walla Walla, and Whitman
Contiguous Counties Also Eligible: Adams, Benton, Franklin, Lincoln, and Spokane
Idaho: Benewah, Latah, and Nez Perce
Oregon: Umatilla and Wallowa
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.
