Klobuchar, Franken, Peterson, Walz Announce USDA Disaster Declaration for Rock and Adjacent Counties, Allowing Them to Be Considered for Emergency Assistance

Press Release

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken and U.S. Representatives Collin Peterson and Tim Walz today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a disaster declaration for Rock County and the adjacent counties of Murray, Nobles and Pipestone, allowing them to be considered for emergency assistance. The USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) has designated Rock County as a primary natural disaster area, making farmers and ranchers in the county eligible to be considered for emergency loans to help recover and rebuild from the extensive damage caused by heavy precipitation and flooding. Murray, Nobles, and Pipestone Counties were designated as contiguous disaster areas and producers in those counties will also be eligible for emergency credit.

"Weeks of torrential downpour and flooding have caused extensive damage to communities in southern Minnesota and all across our state," Klobuchar said. "I called for this critical disaster declaration that will allow impacted farmers and ranchers to be considered for emergency loans, and I'll keep pushing to ensure that our state has the resources we need to recover."

"When severe weather and flooding struck Minnesota last month, I saw firsthand that our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities in the southwest were among the hardest hit," Franken said. "I'm pleased to see USDA responding to our request for a disaster declaration in these counties, and I'm going to continue doing everything I can to help all the rural communities still trying to recover from the storms."

"Severe weather has taken a toll on many Minnesota communities, with heavy rains, flooding and hail devastating local farms and farmers' growing plans for the season," Peterson said. "Unforeseen weather-related disasters are the reason the farm bill's safety net is so important and this announcement will provide some much-needed relief for Minnesota's farmers as they work to recover."

"I am very pleased that USDA promptly responded to our request for a disaster declaration. This will speed up the process of providing emergency loans and assistance to our farmers," Representative Walz said. "I toured flooded areas and saw firsthand the devastation caused. It is exactly for these types of situations that I fought so hard to include crop insurance and permanent disaster assistance in the 2014 Farm Bill. As we move forward, I will continue fighting for our rural, southern Minnesota agriculture values in Congress."

Earlier this month, Minnesota's congressional delegation also urged the President to issue a Major Disaster Declaration to assist communities that are working hard to recover from significant flood damage.

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