USDA Designates 31 Tennessee Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

Contact:
FPAC.BC.Press@usda.gov

Emergency Support to Producers in Surrounding Counties/Border States Also Available

WASHINGTON, July 3, 2019 — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated 31 Tennessee counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers who suffered losses caused by prolonged, excessive rainfall and flooding may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans. 

This natural disaster designation allows FSA to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters. 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 the refinance of certain debts. 

Prolonged, Excessive Rain and Flooding Impacting Crop Year 2018

Producers who suffered losses caused by prolonged, excessive rain and flooding that occurred during May 1, 2018, through Feb. 25, 2019, for crop year 2018, in Blount, Bradley, Dickson, Giles, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Knox, Lewis, Lincoln, McMinn, Meigs, Perry, Polk, Rhea, Unicoi, and Washington counties are eligible to apply for emergency loans. 

Producers in the contiguous Tennessee counties of Anderson, Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Carter, Cheatham, Claiborne, Cocke, Cumberland, Decatur, Franklin, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Lawrence, Loudon, Marion, Marshall, Maury, Monroe, Montgomery, Moore, Roane, Sequatchie, Sevier, Stewart, Sullivan, Union, Wayne and Williamson, along with Lauderdale, Limestone and Madison counties in Alabama; Catoosa, Dade, Fannin, Murray, Walker, Whitfield counties in Georgia; and Cherokee, Graham, Madison, Mitchell, Swain and Yancey counties in North Carolina, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans. 

Prolonged, Excessive Rain and Flooding Impacting Crop Year 2019

Producers who suffered losses caused by prolonged, excessive rain and flooding that occurred during May 1, 2018, through Feb. 25, 2019, for crop year 2019, in Anderson, Bradley, Campbell, Davidson, Hamilton, Polk, Rhea, Robertson, Unicoi and Washington are eligible to apply for emergency loans. 

Producers in the contiguous Tennessee counties of Bledsoe, Carter, Cheatham, Claiborne, Cumberland, Greene, Hawkins, Knox, McMinn, Marion, Meigs, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Roane, Rutherford, Scott, Sequatchie, Sullivan, Sumner, Union, Williamson, and Wilson; along with Catoosa, Dade, Fannin, Murray, Walker and Whitfield counties in Georgia; Logan, McCreary, Simpson, Todd and Whitley counties in Kentucky; and Cherokee, Madison, Mitchell and Yancey counties in North Carolina, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

The deadline to apply for these emergency loans is Feb. 25, 2020. 

FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. 

FSA has a variety of additional programs to help farmers recover from the impacts of this disaster. FSA programs that do not require a disaster declaration include: Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Operating and Farm Ownership Loans; and the Tree Assistance Program.

Farmers may contact their local USDA service center for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at farmers.gov/recover.