Bucks, Monroe, Northampton and Pike counties in Pennsylvania have been designated as natural disaster areas by the USDA. The designation allows the FSA to extend emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.
Excessive rain occurring from Aug. 21 through Sept. 2 triggered one designation and Hurricane Ida on Sept. 1-2 triggered the second. Bucks County is eligible for both disasters, while Monroe, Northampton and Pike counties are only eligible for the first excessive-rain disaster. The USDA designated five New Jersey counties as primary natural disaster areas with the four Pennsylvania counties among the eligible contiguous counties.
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 refinancing of certain debts. The FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. The deadline to apply is June 7, 2022.
More information is available via the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool.