By Scout Nelson
The United States Department of Agriculture has declared many areas in Nebraska as natural disaster zones due to ongoing drought conditions. This designation allows eligible applicants to apply for emergency loans through the Farm Service Agency. These loans are designed to support recovery from losses and help maintain agricultural operations.
Emergency loans can be used for several purposes. These include replacing damaged equipment or livestock, reorganizing farm operations, and refinancing certain debts. Applications are reviewed based on the level of damage, available collateral, and the applicant’s ability to repay the loan. The deadline to apply is December 15, 2026.
The drought classification is based on the US Drought Monitor. The report shows that many areas experienced D2 Severe Drought for at least eight weeks or reached D3 Extreme Drought and D4 Exceptional Drought during the growing season. These conditions have significantly affected agricultural productivity.
Primary counties in Nebraska include Adams, Antelope, Arthur, Banner, Boone, Box Butte, Boyd, Buffalo, Butler, Cedar, Chase, Cherry, Cheyenne, Clay, Colfax, Custer, Dawes, Dawson, Deuel, Dixon, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Garden, Garfield, Gosper, Grant, Greeley, Hall, Hamilton, Hayes, Hitchcock, Holt, Hooker, Howard, Kearney, Keith, Kimball, Knox, Lincoln, Loup, McPherson, Madison, Merrick, Morrill, Nance, Perkins, Phelps, Pierce, Platte, Polk, Red Willow, Scotts Bluff, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Sioux, Valley, Wayne, Wheeler, and York.
Contiguous counties also qualify for assistance. In Nebraska, these include Blaine, Brown, Cuming, Dakota, Dodge, Fillmore, Franklin, Harlan, Keya Paha, Lancaster, Logan, Nuckolls, Rock, Saline, Saunders, Stanton, Thomas, Thurston, and Webster. Additional eligible counties include Logan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Weld, and Yuma in Colorado; Cheyenne, Decatur, Norton, and Rawlins in Kansas; Bennett, Bon Homme, Charles Mix, Clay, Fall River, Gregory, Oglala Lakota, Todd, Tripp, Union, and Yankton in South Dakota; and Goshen, Laramie, and Niobrara in Wyoming.
More details and application guidance are available here. This support aims to help affected operations recover and continue production despite challenging weather conditions.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-neenawat555
Categories: Nebraska, Weather