USDA Designates 25 Alabama Counties as Natural Disaster Areas After Excessive Rainfall

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 25 Alabama counties as primary natural disaster areas due to excessive rainfall from May 1 through June 30, 2025, which severely impacted planting across much of the state. An additional 14 counties were designated as contiguous disaster areas. Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture Rick Pate acknowledged the hardships farmers faced from late spring flooding and drought, encouraging them to seek support from local USDA offices. This designation enables farm operators in these counties to apply for Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans to help recover from losses. Loan applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis considering production losses, repayment ability, and collateral, with farmers having until May 15, 2026, to apply. Resources and program details are available through USDA Service Centers and the FSA website.