March 31, 2025

USDA Designates 22 Virginia Localities as Natural Drought Disaster Area
~ Farmers in designated disaster areas have eight months to apply for emergency assistance ~

Richmond, VA - Due to recent drought conditions, 22 Virginia localities have received natural disaster designations by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins. Farmers in the primary designation counties of Accomack, Caroline, Essex, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Middlesex, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland counties are now eligible to be considered for certain assistance from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA). Farmers in the localities of Fairfax, Gloucester, Hanover, James City, Mathews, New Kent, Northampton, Prince William, Spotsylvania, Stafford counties and the city of Alexandria are also eligible for FSA drought emergency assistance as they are contiguous to designated primary drought localities in Virginia and Maryland.

This assistance includes FSA emergency loans. Provided eligibility requirements are met, FSA will assess each emergency loan application individually to consider specific circumstances and needs. Farmers in eligible localities have eight months from the date of disaster declaration, March 25, 2025, to apply for emergency loans.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor (http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu), these localities 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.

For more information on available assistance programs and the application process, please visit the Virginia FSA State Office website at www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/Virginia.