USDA Designates Ag Disaster Areas

WASHINGTOPN - Jan 12/05 - SNS -- The USDA desiganted numerous counties in California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon And Texas as agriculture disaster areas.

In California, Tehama County was designated as a primary disaster area on Dec. 28, 2004, due to dry, windy weather that occurred from March 12, 2004, through March 31, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Butte, Glenn, Mendocino, Plumas, Shasta and Trinity Counties.

In Colorado, Bent County was designated as a primary disaster area on Jan. 10, 2005, due to hail, wind and rain that occurred on Aug. 7, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Baca, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero and Prowers Counties.

Moffat County was designated as a primary disaster area on Jan. 10, 2005, due to drought that occurred from Jan. 1, 2004, and continuing; and hail that occurred on Aug. 23, 2004; and a freeze that occurred on July 20, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Rio Blanco and Routt Counties.

In Michigan, Isabella, Mecosta and Otsego Counties were designated as primary disaster areas on Dec. 28, 2004, due to losses caused by early freezes that occurred from Aug. 19, 2004, through Oct. 8, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are:

Antrim Clare Gratiot Midland Newaygo
Charlevoix Crawford Kalkaska Montcalm Osceola
Cheboygan Gladwin Lake Montmorency Oscoda

In Michigan, the following counties were designated as primary disaster

areas on

Dec. 28, 2004, due to losses caused by drought that occurred from July

1, 2004, through

Aug. 17, 2004:

Bay Isabella Leelanau Mecosta Oceana
Benzie Kalkaska Manistee Midland Osceola
Grand Traverse Lake Mason Missaukee Wexford

Also eligible because they are contiguous are:

Antrim Crawford Montcalm Otsego Tuscola
Arenac Gladwin Muskegon Roscommon
Clare Gratiot Newaygo Saginaw

In Michigan, the following 76 counties were designated as primary disaster areas on Dec. 28, 2004, due to losses caused by excessive rain, hail, winds and flooding that occurred from April 25, 2004, and continuing:

Alcona Gogebic Lenawee Ogemaw
Alger Grand Traverse Livingston Ontonagon
Alpena Gratiot Luce Osceola
Antrim Hillsdale Mackinac Oscoda
Baraga Houghton Macomb Otsego
Bay Huron Manistee Ottawa
Benzie Ingham Marquette Presque Isle
Berrien Ionia Mason Roscommon
Cass Iosco Mecosta Saginaw
Charlevoix Iron Menominee Sanilac
Cheboygan Isabella Midland Schoolcraft
Chippewa Jackson Missaukee Shiawassee
Clare Kalamazoo Monroe St. Clair
Crawford Kalkaska Montcalm St. Joseph
Delta Kent Montmorency Tuscola
Dickinson Keweenaw Muskegon Van Buren
Emmet Lake Newaygo Washtenaw
Genesee Lapeer Oakland Wayne
Gladwin Leelanau Oceana Wexford

Also eligible because they are contiguous are:

Allegan Barry Calhoun Eaton
Arenac Branch Clinton

In Mississippi, the following counties were designated as primary natural disaster areas on Jan. 10, 2005, due to flooding, winds, tornadoes, hail and lightning that occurred from May 1, 2004, through July 31, 2004; and Hurricane Ivan that occurred from Sept. 13, 2004, through Sept. 20, 2004:

Alcorn Coahoma Jefferson Davis Montgomery Smith
Amite Covington Jones Oktibbeha Tunica
Bolivar George Lamar Perry Union
Calhoun Grenada Lauderdale Pike Walthall
Carroll Hinds Lawrence Pontotoc Webster
Chickasaw Holmes Lee Prentiss Wilkinson
Clarke Itawamba Marion Quitman
Clay Jackson Monroe Simpson

Also eligible because they are contiguous are:

Adams Franklin Lincoln Pearl River Tishomingo
Attala Greene Lowndes Rankin Warren
Benton Harrison Madison Scott Washington
Choctaw Humphreys Marshall Stone Wayne
Claiborne Jasper Neshoba Sunflower Winston
Copiah Kemper Newton Tallahatchie Yalobusha
De Soto Lafayette Noxubee Tate Yazoo
Forrest Leflore Panola Tippah

In Nebraska, the following counties were designated as primary natural disaster areas on Dec. 28, 2004, due to drought that occurred from Jan. 1, 2004, and continuing:

Adams Dawson Garfield Knox Nance Thayer
Boone Fillmore Gosper Logan Nuckolls Valley
Buffalo Franklin Harlan Loup Pawnee Webster
Custer Furnas Kearney Merrick Sherman Wheeler

Also eligible because they are contiguous are:

Antelope Clay Hamilton Lincoln Pierce Rock
Blaine Frontier Holt Madison Platte Saline
Boyd Gage Howard McPherson Polk Seward
Brown Greeley Jefferson Nemaha Red Willow Thomas
Cedar Hall Johnson Phelps Richardson York

In North Dakota, Barnes, Benson, Cass, Griggs, Kidder, La Moure, Logan, McLean, Sheridan, Steele, Stutsman, Traill, Wells and Williams Counties were designated as primary disaster areas on Jan. 10, 2005, due to drought, frost, winds, flooding, storms, ice, snow and severe temperatures that occurred from Jan. 1, 2004, and continuing; and due to freezing temperatures that occurred from Aug. 16, 2004, through Aug. 23, 2004. Contiguous counties were already designated in a previous release.

In Ohio, 13 counties were designated as primary disaster areas on Jan. 10, 2005, due to rain and flooding resulting from the remnants of hurricanes that occurred from Sept. 8, 2004, through Sept. 26, 2004. These counties are Athens, Belmont, Guernsey, Harrison, Hocking, Jackson, Jefferson, Monroe, Noble, Perry, Scioto, Vinton and Washington.

Also eligible because they are contiguous are the following counties:

Adams Coshocton Lawrence Morgan Pike
Carroll Fairfield Licking Muskingum Ross
Columbiana Gallia Meigs Pickaway Tuscarawas

In Oregon, Coos County was designated as a primary natural disaster area on Jan. 10, 2005, due to drought that occurred from Jan. 1, 2004, and continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Curry and Douglas Counties.

In Texas, Presidio County was designated as a primary natural disaster area on Dec. 28, 2004, due to losses caused by excessive flooding and high winds that occurred on Sept. 22, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Brewster, Hudspeth and Jeff Davis Counties.

Cochran County was designated as a primary natural disaster area on Dec. 28, 2004, due to losses caused by rain, hail and high winds that occurred on Aug. 19, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Bailey, Terry, Hockley, Yoakum and Lamb Counties.

Gonzales County was designated as a primary natural disaster area on Jan. 10, 2005, due to losses caused by flooding that occurred from Nov. 15, 2004, and continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Bastrop, Caldwell, De Witt, Fayette, Guadalupe, Karnes, Lavaca and Wilson Counties.

Taylor County was designated as a primary natural disaster area on Jan. 10, 2005, due to losses caused by excessive rain that occurred from Oct. 3, 2004, through Nov. 18, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Callahan, Coleman, Fisher, Jones, Nolan and Runnels Counties.

Martin County was designated as a primary natural disaster area on Jan. 10, 2005, due to losses caused by record-breaking cool weather that occurred from Aug. 1, 2004, through Aug. 31, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Andrews, Borden, Dawson, Gaines, Glasscock, Howard and Midland Counties.

Bosque County was designated as a primary natural disaster area on Jan. 10, 2005, due to losses caused by excessive rain that occurred from April 1, 2004, and continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Coryell, Erath, Hamilton, Hill, Johnson, McLennan and Somervell Counties.

Terrell County was designated as a primary natural disaster area on Jan. 10, 2005, due to losses caused by flooding that occurred from July 1, 2004, and continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Brewster, Crockett, Pecos and Val Verde Counties.

Caldwell County was designated as a primary natural disaster area on Jan. 10, 2005, due to losses caused by flooding that occurred from Oct. 1, 2004, and continuing. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Bastrop, Fayette, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hays and Travis Counties.

Castro County was designated as a primary natural disaster area on Jan. 10, 2005, due to losses caused by hailstorms that occurred from June 1, 2004, through Aug. 31, 2004. Also eligible because they are contiguous are Deaf Smith, Hale, Lamb, Parmer, Randall and Swisher Counties.