Source: USDA, 2/9/19

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated 15 North Carolina counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers who suffered losses caused by Hurricane Michael or Hurricane Florence may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans.

These natural disaster area designations allow 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.

Extensive Flooding and Winds Due to Hurricane Michael
Producers who suffered losses caused by extensive flooding and/or winds from Hurricane Michael that occurred Oct. 10 through Oct. 14, 2018, in Alamance, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Granville, Orange, Person, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin counties are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Producers in the contiguous North Carolina counties of Alleghany, Caswell, Chatham, Davidson, Guilford, Halifax, Iredell, Johnston, Nash, Randolph, Rowan, Vance, Wake, Warren, Wilkes, along with Carroll, Grayson, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick and Pittsylvania counties in Virginia, are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Extensive Flooding and Excessive Rain Due to Hurricane Florence
Producers who suffered losses due to extensive flooding and/or excessive rain caused by Hurricane Florence on or after Sept. 14, 2018, in Edgecombe, Halifax and Martin counties are eligible to apply for emergency loans.

Producers in the contiguous North Carolina counties of Beaufort, Bertie, Franklin, Nash, Northampton, Pitt, Warren, Washington, and Wilson are also eligible to apply for emergency loans.
The deadline to apply for these emergency loans is Sept. 30, 2019.

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 https://www.farmers.gov/recover.