Additional Virginia localities receive Disaster Designation for 2024 drought

Source: VDACS

Richmond, VA (June 13, 2025) - Additional Virginia localities have received natural disaster designations by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins, due to recent drought conditions.

New counties added to the Primary Disaster Designation List include Fauquier, Prince William, Fairfax, and Loudoun. Farmers in these counties are now eligible to be considered for certain assistance from the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA). Farmers in the localities of Clarke, Culpeper, Rappahannock, Stafford, Warren, Manassas, Manassas Park, City of Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church are also eligible for FSA drought emergency assistance as they are contiguous to designated primary drought localities.

Yields of some row crops were impacted by severe drought conditions in 2024. Image credit - Jeff Ishee

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor (http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu), these localities suffered from a drought intensity value during the growing season of 1) D2 Drought-Severe for eight or more consecutive weeks or 2) D3 Drought-Extreme or D4 Drought-Exceptional.

Available assistance includes FSA emergency loans. Provided eligibility requirements are met, FSA will assess each emergency loan application individually to consider specific circumstances and needs. Farmers in the eligible localities have eight months from the date of disaster declaration (June 2, 2025, for those listed above) to apply for emergency loans.

Other primary and contiguous disaster designations previously named in Virginia this drought season include: Accomack, Caroline, Essex, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Middlesex, Northumberland, Richmond, Westmoreland, Gloucester, Hanover, James City, Mathews, New Kent, Northampton, Prince William, and Spotsylvania. Check FSA information for application deadlines for these previously named localities.

For more information on available assistance programs and the application process, please visit the Virginia FSA State Office website at www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/Virginia.