USDA Designates 29 Georgia Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

Four Contiguous Counties in South Carolina Eligible for Assistance

These Secretarial natural disaster designations allow 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.

Impacted Area: Georgia

Triggering Disaster 1: Hurricane Idalia

Application Deadline: 05/09/2024

Primary Counties Eligible:  Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bulloch, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Echols, Emanuel, Jeff Davis, Jenkins, Lanier, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Thomas, Tift, Ware and Wayne

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

Florida: Baker, Columbia, Hamilton, Jefferson, Leon, Madison, and Nassau

Georgia: Ben Hill, Bryan, Burke, Cook, Effingham, Evans, Glynn, Grady, Irwin, Jefferson, Johnson, Laurens, Liberty, Long, Lowndes, McIntosh, Mitchell, Montgomery, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Turner, Wheeler and Worth

South Carolina: Allendale and Hampton

Triggering Disaster 2: Hurricane Idalia

Application Deadline: 06/03/2024

Primary Counties Eligible:  Burke, Montgomery, Toombs and Treutlen

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible: 

Georgia: Appling, Candler, Emanuel, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Laurens, Richmond, Screven, Tattnall and Wheeler South Carolina: Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell

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.