22 Ohio Counties Designated as Natural Disaster Areas Due to Major Drought

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has officially designated 22 counties in Ohio as natural disaster areas due to the state’s ongoing drought.
In an announcement on Tuesday, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency pointed towards the severity of the conditions that have plagued much of Ohio this summer. The announcement opened the door for farmers across these 22 affected counties—and 18 neighboring counties—to apply for emergency federal loans, offering a lifeline to those facing significant crop damage and economic hardship.
According to the USDA, the emergency federal loan program “provides loans to help producers recover from production and physical losses due to drought, flooding, other natural disasters, or quarantine by animal quarantine laws or imposed by the Secretary under the Plant Protection Act.”
More From Newsweek Vault: What Is an Emergency Fund?
The 22 counties impacted are Athens, Belmont, Fairfield, Fayette, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Vinton and Washington.
Newsweek reached out to the USDA’s Farm Service agency via email on Wednesday for comment.
While the majority of the state has been grappling with abnormally dry conditions, the southeast region—including counties Athens, Belmont, Fairfield and Washington—has been particularly devastated. According to the USDA, these counties have had eight or more consecutive weeks of severe drought.
More From Newsweek Vault: 5 Steps to Build an Emergency Fund Today
In an effort to address the issue, the USDA is encouraging Ohio farmers to apply for the assistance programs as the state continues to battle the drought that’s stifling the region’s agricultural production.
The announcement comes after local officials and farmers alike have been calling for federal support with drought conditions continuing to exacerbate an already difficult growing season.
More From Newsweek Vault: Learn More About the Different Types of Savings Accounts
In addition, while the emergency loans will help ease the financial burden caused by drought, concerns remain about the long-term impact on Ohio’s agricultural sector.
According to the National Centers for Environmental Information in May, around 6 percent of the contiguous U.S. was affected by severe to extreme drought, down 3 percent from the month before. Meanwhile, about 13 percent of the contiguous U.S. fell into the moderate to extreme drought category.
Climate change has often been blamed for drought unfolding at an unprecedented planetary-scale emergency, as highlighted by the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification’s report at the end of last year.
U.N. Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw said at the time: “Unlike other disasters that attract media attention, droughts happen silently, often going unnoticed and failing to provoke an immediate public and political response. This silent devastation perpetuates a cycle of neglect, leaving affected populations to bear the burden in isolation.”
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.