USDA Designates Nebraska Counties as Natural Disaster Areas Due to Drought

Please note: These designations were issued earlier this year.

These Secretarial natural disaster designations allow the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, these counties suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season of 1) D2 Drought-Severe for 8 or more consecutive weeks or 2) D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional.

Triggering Disaster S6222:

Impacted Area: Nebraska
Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast Track)
Application Deadline: 02/01/2027

Primary Counties Eligible:
State: Nebraska: Counties include Blaine, Brown, Harlan, Thomas

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:
State: Nebraska: Counties include Cherry, Custer, Franklin, Furnas, Hooker, Kearney, Keya Paha, Logan, Loup, McPherson, Phelps, Rock
State: Kansas: Counties include Phillips, Norton

Triggering Disaster S6281:

Impacted Area: Nebraska
Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast Track)
Application Deadline: 03/01/2027

Primary Counties Eligible:
State: Nebraska: Counties include Fillmore, Franklin

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:
State: Nebraska: Counties include Clay, Harlan, Jefferson, Kearney, Nuckolls, Phelps, Saline, Seward, Thayer, Webster, York
State: Kansas: Counties include Phillips, Smith

Triggering Disaster S6304:

Impacted Area: Nebraska
Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast Track)
Application Deadline: 03/29/2027

Primary Counties Eligible:
State: Nebraska: Counties include Lancaster, Saline

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:
State: Nebraska: Counties include Butler, Cass, Fillmore, Gage, Jefferson, Johnson, Otoe, Saunders, Seward, Thayer, York

Triggering Disaster S6389:

Impacted Area: Nebraska
Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast Track)
Application Deadline: 05/03/2027

Primary Counties Eligible:
State: Nebraska: County includes Dakota

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:
State: Nebraska: Counties include Dixon, Thurston
State: South Dakota: County includes Union
State: Iowa: County includes Woodbury

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Triggering Disaster S6397:

Impacted Area: Nebraska
Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast Track)
Application Deadline: 05/03/2027

Primary Counties Eligible:
State: Nebraska: County includes: Thurston

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:
State: Nebraska: Counties include Burt, Cuming, Dakota, Dixon and Wayne
State: Iowa: Counties include Monona, Woodbury.

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More Resources

On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Loan Assistance Tool can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local USDA Service Center.