Crop Disasters Declared for 28 Counties across 4 States

Severe storms, excessive wind, rain and hail cause crop disaster in four states

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 28 counties across four states as agricultural disaster areas in three separate disaster declarations.

Disaster Declaration No. 1

Montana: Glacier County, which includes the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, together with the counties of Flathead, Pondera, and  Toole have been declared crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by several severe storms and hail that occurred June 18 – September 30, 2013.

Disaster Declaration No. 2

USDA has designated a total of 17 counties in three states–Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin– as crop disaster disaster areas due to losses caused by excessive rainfall that occurred April 1 – August 5, 2013.

Those counties are

• Iowa: Allamakee, Cerro Gordo,  Floyd, Bremer, Clayton, Hancock, Winnebago, Butler, Fayette, Howard, Winneshiek, Chickasaw, Franklin and Mitchell counties.
• Minnesota: Houston County.
• Wisconsin: Crawford and Vernon counties.

Disaster Declaration No. 3

USDA has also designated seven counties in Oregon as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive wind, rain, and hail that occurred August 25, 2013.

Those counties are: Jefferson, Crook, Linn, Wasco, Deschutes, Marion and Wheeler counties.

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas Nov. 27, 2013.

“Secretary Vilsack also reminds producers that Congress has not funded the five disaster assistance programs authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill.These are SURE; the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP); the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP); the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP); and the Tree Assistance Program (TAP). Production losses due to disasters occurring after Sept. 30, 2011, are not eligible for disaster program coverage,” said USDA.

Crop Disaster 2013

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared 3,954 county-level agricultural disaster areas across 44 states, so far this year.

The crop disasters for year 2013 include losses and damages caused by

• DROUGHT
• FLOOD
• Flash flooding
• Excessive rain, moisture, humidity
• Severe Storms, thunderstorms
• Ground Saturation
• Standing Water
• Hail
• Wind, High Winds
• Fire, Wildfire
• Heat, Excessive heat
• High Temp. (incl. low humidity)
• Winter Storms, Ice Storms, Snow, Blizzard
• Frost, FREEZE
• Hurricanes, Typhoons, Tropical Storms
• Tornadoes
• Volcano
• Mudslides, Debris Flows, Landslides
• Heavy Surf
• Ice Jams
• Insects
• Tidal Surges
• Cold, wet weather
• Cool/Cold, Below-normal Temperatures
• Lightning
• Disease

Notes:
1. USDA trigger point for a countywide disaster declaration is 30 percent crop loss on at least one crop.

2. The total number of counties designated as agricultural disaster areas includes both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

3. The U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.

4. A number of counties have been designated crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

5. The disaster designations were approved by USDA between January 9 and November 20, 2013.

Recent Federal and Agriculture Disaster Declarations

• Illinois Declared Federal Disaster Area November 27, 2013
• Nebraska Declared Federal Disaster Area November 27, 2013
• Major Disaster Declared for South Dakota November 9, 2013
• Major Disaster Declared in North Dakota November 1, 2013

• North Carolina Declared Federal Disaster Area October 31, 2013
• Major Disaster Declared in New Mexico October 30, 2013
• Kansas Declared Federal Disaster Area October 30, 2013
• Blizzard Kills 80,000 Cattle in S. Dakota October 14, 2013
• New Mexico Declared Federal Disaster Area October 2, 2013

• Agricultural Disaster Declared for 194 Counties in 13 States September 20, 2013
• N. Colorado Declared as Federal Disaster Area September 14, 2013
• Agricultural Disaster Declared for 138 counties in 14 States
• Drought 2013
• Agricultural Disasters Index