WASHINGTON, D.C. — The USDA has designated six West Virginia counties and nine Maryland counties as Natural Disaster Areas due to drought conditions.
Seven Pennsylvania Counties are also eligible for assistance.
The 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,” according to a recent press release from the USDA.
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 8 or more consecutive weeks or 2) D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional.
Impacted Area: Maryland
Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast-Track)
Application Deadline: 12/10/2026
Primary Counties Eligible:
Maryland: Allegany, Carroll, Charles, Fredrick, Garrett, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Washington
Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:
West Virginia: Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan, Preston
Maryland: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, St. Mary’s
Pennsylvania: Adams, Bedford, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Somerset, York
Virginia: Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, King George, Loudoun, Prince William, Stafford, Westmoreland
District of Columbia: District of Columbia
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.