USDA Designates Alabama Counties as Natural Disaster Zones

0:00The U.S. Department of Agriculture has tagged 30 counties across Alabama as primary natural disaster zones from brutal drought conditions. State Act Commissioner Rick Pate dropped the news this week, highlighting how this is hitting farms hard-stay-wide. On top of the dry spill, unusually-parched air has cranked up wildfire dangers, triggering red flag warnings in spots for the Alabama Forestry. Farmers and ranchers are stressed out, watching crops wilt, pastures fade, and livestock suffer under the strain. Pate called it a vital move, unlocking emergency aid to keep operations afloat. Twelve nearby counties got named as Continuous Disaster Areas 2, expanding help to more folks facing the fallout. If you're in one of these counties, swing by your local USDA Service Center or hit up the Farm Service Agency website to check eligibility for those. Low-interest emergency loans and get back on track. That wraps Birmingham News today, brought to you with AI.