USDA Designates 33 Virginia Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas Due to Drought

Counties in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia also eligible for assistance

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 8 or more consecutive weeks or 2) D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional. 

Impacted Area: Virginia

Triggering Disaster:  Drought 

Application Deadline:  June 3, 2025 

Primary Counties Eligible:

Virginia:

Albemarle                                Floyd                           Pittsylvania

Alleghany                                Franklin                       Pulaski

Augusta                                   Giles                            Roanoke

Bath                                         Grayson                       Russell

Bedford                                   Greene                         Scott

Bland                                       Lee                              Smyth

Botetourt                                 Madison                      Tazewell

Buchanan                                Montgomery                Washington

Carroll                                     Nelson                          Wise

Craig                                        Page                             Wythe

Dickerson                                Patrick           

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

Virginia:

Amherst                    Henry                           Warren                    Lynchburg

Appomattox              Highland                      Bristol                     Norton

Buckingham             Louisa                          Charlottesville         Radford

Campbell                 Orange                         Covington               Roanoke

Culpeper                  Rappahannock             Danville                  Salem

Fluvanna                  Rockbridge                   Galax                       Staunton

Halifax                    Shenandoah                  Harrisonburg           Waynesboro  

Kentucky: Bell, Harlan, Letcher and Pike Counties

North Carolina: Alleghany, Ashe, Caswell, Rockingham, Stokes and Surry

Tennessee: Claiborne, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, and Sullivan

West Virginia: Greenbrier, Hardy, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Pendleton, Pocahontas and Summers 

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.