Disaster Declared In Numerous Florida Counties

The USDA has granted Florida’s request for a disaster declaration following the severe weather conditions of the past few months.
“After one of the coldest December’s in Florida’s history, our state is facing significant crop loss and damage,” said U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney (FL-16).
“Now that USDA has granted this disaster declaration, Florida’s agriculture community can begin the long road to recovery.”

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USDA tallied 26 counties across Florida as the areas primarily impacted by the cold weather and added contiguous counties that also will be covered in the declaration.

Primarily impacted counties include:

  • Alachua
  • Bradford
  • Charlotte
  • Clay
  • Collier
  • DeSoto
  • Dixie
  • Gilchrist
  • Flagler
  • Glades
  • Hardee
  • Hendry
  • Highlands
  • Indian River
  • Lee
  • Levy
  • Manatee
  • Martin
  • Miami-Dade
  • Okeechobee
  • Palm Beach
  • Polk
  • Putnam
  • Sarasota
  • St. Johns
  • St. Lucie

Contiguous counties included in the disaster declaration:

  • Baker
  • Brevard
  • Broward
  • Citrus
  • Columbia
  • Duval
  • Hillsborough
  • Lafayette
  • Lake
  • Marion
  • Monroe
  • Orange
  • Osceola
  • Pasco
  • Sumter
  • Suwannee
  • Taylor
  • Union
  • Volusia

A disaster declaration makes farm operators eligible for assistance from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), including FSA emergency loans and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program. Farmers in these designated counties have eight months from the day of declaration (Jan. 26) to apply for emergency loan assistance. FSA considers the extent of production losses, security available and repayment ability with each application. SURE Program applications for 2010 crop losses will be accepted in 2011, when the 2010 farm revenue data required by statute becomes available.

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In addition to the cold damage, USDA also granted disaster declaration for areas in Florida affected by drought that occurred from June 1, 2010 to present. Those counties primarily impacted by the drought include:

  • Bay
  • Calhoun
  • Gadsden
  • Gilchrist
  • Holmes
  • Indian River
  • Jackson
  • Madison
  • Martin
  • St. Lucie
  • Wakulla
  • Washington

Contiguous counties include:

  • Alachua
  • Brevard
  • Columbia
  • Dixie
  • Franklin
  • Gulf
  • Hamilton
  • Jefferson
  • Lafayette
  • Leon
  • Levy
  • Liberty
  • Okeechobee
  • Osceola
  • Palm Beach
  • Suwannee
  • Taylor
  • Walton

 

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