USDA Designates 7 Ohio Counties as Natural Disaster Areas due to Drought; 3 Indiana Counties are Eligible as they are Contiguous Counties

COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 21, 2026 - This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows 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. The FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.

Triggering Secretarial Designation S6194

Impacted Area: Ohio

Triggering Disaster: Drought that occurred on April 1, 2026.

Application Deadline: December 15, 2026.

Primary Counties Eligible:

• Ohio: Defiance, Hancock, Henry, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert and Wood counties.

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

• Indiana: Adams, Allen, and Dekalb counties.
• Ohio: Allen, Auglaize, Fulton, Hardin, Lucas, Mercer, Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca, Williams and Wyandot counties.

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.