Triggering Disaster: Drought and Excessive Heat that occurred 6/22/2024 through 10/22/2024
Application Deadline: 9/15/2025
Primary Counties Eligible: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Charles, Dorchester, Harford, Prince George’s, St. Mary’s.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated St. Mary’s County, along with several other Maryland jurisdictions, as a primary natural disaster area due to drought and excessive heat occurring between June 22, 2024, and October 22, 2024.
This designation allows eligible farmers and agricultural producers in St. Mary’s County to apply for emergency loans through the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) to aid in recovery efforts.
Emergency loans are available to assist producers in replacing essential equipment or livestock, reorganizing farming operations, or refinancing certain debts. The FSA will evaluate loan applications based on the extent of losses, available security, and repayment ability. The deadline to apply for assistance is September 15, 2025.
“St. Mary’s County remains committed to supporting our agricultural community as they navigate the challenges posed by extreme weather conditions,” said Commissioner President, Randy Guy. “We encourage all eligible producers to take advantage of these federal resources to help sustain their farming operations.”
In addition to St. Mary’s County, the following Maryland counties are designated as primary disaster areas: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Charles, Dorchester, Harford, and Prince George’s. Several neighboring states including Delaware, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, are also eligible for assistance.
Farmers seeking more information on available resources can visit www.farmers.gov and use the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Loan Assistance Tool to explore program options. To file a Notice of Loss or inquire about eligibility, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center.
For more details on USDA emergency loans, please visit: www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/programs/emergency-farm-loans.
Between October and November of 2024, our firefighters throughout all St. Mary’s County, Charles and Calvert County responded to numerous large woods, brush and outside fires while all of Maryland was under a burn ban.
