12 Nebraska counties declared natural disaster areas due to drought

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Twelve Nebraska counties have been designated natural disaster areas due to drought.

In a letter to Gov. Jim Pillen earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said those counties, plus all adjacent ones, could be eligible for emergency loan assistance.

Most of the affected counties are in central and western Nebraska, including Kimball, Lincoln and Dawson counties.

But Platte County in eastern Nebraska has also been declared a natural disaster area.

Courtesy: U.S. Department of Agriculture

The 30 counties bordering the 12 disaster counties could also qualify for the aid. Twenty-six of them are in Nebraska, three are in Colorado and one is in Wyoming.

Farmers in the eligible counties have eight months to apply for emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency.