When you hear "our county was declared a disaster area," it usually means a USDA Secretarial disaster designation. The main thing it does is open low-interest FSA emergency loans. FSA is USDA's Farm Service Agency.
It does not automatically send anyone a check.
The four kinds
FSA handles four types of designation:
- Secretarial disaster designation. USDA's most common type. It is requested by the governor, a tribal leader or FSA's state executive director.
- Presidential major disaster or emergency declaration. This goes through FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency). FSA is notified of the counties named.
- Administrator's Physical Loss Notification (APLN). This covers physical losses, such as buildings, fences or livestock killed by a tornado or fire.
- Quarantine designation. Used for plant or animal quarantines.
How drought counties get one quickly
For drought there is a fast-track process. It is nearly automatic when, during the growing season, any part of a county shows on the U.S. Drought Monitor as:
- D2 (severe drought) for 8 weeks in a row, or
- D3 (extreme) or D4 (exceptional) at any time
For other disasters, such as hail, flood or freeze, or a drought that doesn't hit the fast-track trigger, the county generally needs a 30% production loss of at least one crop. Another way to qualify is a finding that local lenders can't meet producers' emergency credit needs. That request must be made within three months after the disaster ends.
Primary vs. contiguous counties
A designation names primary counties. Counties that touch a primary county, called contiguous counties, are eligible for emergency loans too. That includes contiguous counties across a state line.
What it opens up
- FSA Emergency (EM) loans to restore or replace property, pay production costs and family living expenses, or refinance certain debts tied to the disaster.
- You must operate in a primary or contiguous county and have significant losses.
- You must show you can't get enough credit elsewhere.
- You can borrow up to 100% of your actual losses, with a cap of $500,000.
- Apply within 8 months of the designation date.
- The rate was 3.750% in October 2026. FSA posts rates monthly.
- Payment relief for existing FSA borrowers. Borrowers in designated or contiguous counties who can't make scheduled payments may qualify to have some payments set aside.
What it does NOT control
- LFP (Livestock Forage Disaster Program) uses the Drought Monitor directly. You don't need a designation.
- LIP (Livestock Indemnity Program) and ELAP (Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish) work from eligible loss events. They don't require a designation.
- CRP emergency haying and grazing has its own D2 trigger.
Some other programs do look at designations, so ask.
What to do next
- Look up your county on FSA's Disaster Designation Information page. It has lists by year and maps.
- Check whether you're in a primary county or a contiguous one.
- Note the designation date and count 8 months forward for the EM loan deadline.
- Write down your losses: yields, sales, dead animals, damaged fence and buildings, and extra feed bought.
- Call your county FSA office.
Cownty can text you when your county, or a neighboring one, gets a USDA disaster designation.
Cownty is an independent service and is not affiliated with USDA. This is general information, not legal or financial advice. Loan terms are set by FSA.
Check your county
Every county, by state: Texas · Oklahoma · Kansas · New Mexico
Official sources
- FSA – Emergency Disaster Designation and Declaration Process fact sheet
- FSA – Disaster Designation Information (county lists and maps)
- FSA – Emergency Farm Loans
- FSA – October 2026 lending rates
- FSA – Current FSA Loan Interest Rates
- eCFR – 7 CFR Part 759, Disaster Designations and Notifications
Rules and dates checked against these pages on Oct 18, 2026. Information only, not legal, tax, insurance or financial advice: the agency decides. Not affiliated with USDA or any government agency.