The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated multiple Arkansas counties in the Twin Lakes Area as disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by recent drought. Farmers and ranchers in the counties are eligible for natural disaster assistance. Those counties include Baxter, Boone, Fulton, Izard, Marion, Newton, Searcy and Stone.
Agricultural officials said Wednesday the designation makes farmers and ranchers in the counties eligible for the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) emergency loans, as well as other assistance programs. Farmers have eight months from March 8th to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses.A link to the process for applying for assistance can be found at
www.fsa.usda.gov.
Producers can contact their local FSA for more information. In Baxter County the number is 870-425-2250.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, released Thursday, the majority of the state is out of drought conditions with portions of Baxter, Boone, Fulton and Marion counties listed as abnormally dry.
Forecasters say heavy rainfall in February led to widespread flooding and
erased drought conditions in other parts of the state.
Precipitation totals for the month of February for the Twin Lakes Area are the eighth highest recorded. The total rainfall for the month at KTLO, Classic Hits 101.7 and The Boot, the official weather reporting station in Mountain Home for the National Weather Service, was 6.39 inches. The average precipitation for February is 3 inches.
The 6.39 inches of rain received is more than the previous three months put together. November, December and January had a combined total of 4.64 inches.
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