The USDA has designated 55 Nebraska counties as primary natural disaster areas due to a recent drought.
Secretary Tom Vilsack notified Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen that the counties had received the disaster designation, making farmers in those areas eligible for federal assistance.
In addition to the 55 primary counties, farmers in 47 contiguous counties are also eligible for relief. Of those bordering counties, 24 are in neighboring states, including Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the initial declaration, which was officially March 31, to apply for emergency loans.
Virtually all of Nebraska remains in some level of drought as of the end of March.
A total of 11 Nebraska counties are experiencing exceptional drought, the highest level listed by the U.S. Drought Monitor. An additional 47 are in extreme drought. With the exception of a small portion of Richardson County, the rest of the state is either listed as being in severe drought, moderate drought or abnormally dry.
Source: newschannelnebraska.com
Photo Credit: gettyimages-banksphotos
Categories: Nebraska, Weather