Natural disaster declared in 22 counties due to prolonged drought, Ohio

Twenty-two counties in Ohio have been officially designated as primary natural disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, due to prolonged drought conditions, allowing farmers to seek emergency loans for recovery efforts.

Twenty-two counties in Ohio have been designated as a primary natural disaster area due to prolonged drought on Tuesday, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA).

This designation was made in response to worsening drought conditions, particularly in the southeastern parts of the state. The affected counties include Athens, Belmont, Fairfield, Fayette, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Vinton, and Washington.

The USDA’s decision allows farmers in these counties, as well as those in 18 neighboring counties, to apply for emergency loans. The contiguous eligible counties in Ohio include Adams, Brown, Carroll, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Columbiana, Coshocton, Franklin, Greene, Lawrence, Licking, Meigs, Scioto, Tuscarawas, and Union.

In addition, West Virginia counties such as Brooke, Cabell, Hancock, Marshall, Mason, Ohio, Pleasants, Tyler, Wetzel, and Wood are also eligible for assistance.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, these counties experienced severe drought (D2) for eight or more consecutive weeks, with some areas facing extreme (D3) or exceptional (D4) drought conditions. Highland, Pike, and Ross counties are under extreme drought, while Athens and Meigs counties have experienced exceptional drought.

As of September 3, only 4.57% of the state remains unaffected by dry conditions (classified as “None”). A significant 95.43% of Ohio falls into categories ranging from abnormally dry to exceptional drought (D0-D4). Of particular concern is that 31.49% of the state is now classified under severe drought or worse (D2-D4), and 22.21% is enduring extreme drought (D3-D4). Notably, 7.35% of Ohio is suffering from exceptional drought (D4), the most severe category. These conditions represent a sharp increase in drought intensity from just a week earlier when only 1.32% of the state was under exceptional drought, and 74.70% was experiencing drought conditions overall.

When compared to the same time last year, Ohio’s drought situation has significantly worsened. On September 5, 2023, 89.20% of the state had no drought, and only 10.80% of the state was classified as abnormally dry or worse. There were no instances of severe, extreme, or exceptional drought at that time.

The emergency loans provided by the FSA can be used to meet recovery needs such as replacing equipment or livestock, reorganizing farming operations, or refinancing debts. The loans will be reviewed based on the extent of the losses, available security, and the applicant’s repayment ability. Farmers and operators in the designated counties have until April 28, 2025, to apply for this loan assistance.

This drought has been attributed to long-term dry conditions, with many areas experiencing significantly less rainfall than usual. Despite occasional downpours, the overall summer months have been much drier, leading to the region’s placement as the 22_nd driest summer on record in Cincinnati. The lack of consistent rain has contributed to the severity of the drought, putting immense pressure on farming operations across these regions.

References:

¹ Twenty-Two Ohio Counties Declared a Primary Natural Disaster Area Due to Drought; Additional Ohio and West Virginia Counties are Eligible as Contiguous Counties – USDA – September 3, 2024

² 22 Ohio counties declared natural disaster areas due to drought- AP – September 4, 2024

³ U.S. Drought Monitor – Ohio – Published September 5, 2024