USDA Designates Wyoming County as Primary Natural Disaster Area Due to Drought, Enabling Emergency Loans for Farmers
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Sheridan County, Wyoming, as a primary natural disaster area. This designation is a direct response to severe drought conditions that have impacted the region. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the affected counties experienced either D2 Drought-Severe conditions for eight or more consecutive weeks or D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional levels during the growing season. This declaration allows the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) to provide emergency credit to agricultural producers in Sheridan County and contiguous counties, including Big Horn, Campbell, and Johnson in Wyoming, as well as Big Horn and Powder River in Montana. The emergency loans are designed to help farmers recover from losses, replace essential items like equipment or livestock, reorganize farming operations, or refinance certain debts. The application deadline for these emergency loans is May 17, 2027.