AUSTIN - Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a disaster designation for 23 counties in response to severe winter weather that has impacted the state. USDA continues to review production losses in all remaining Texas counties and may make future determinations as more information becomes available. The Governor requested this designation in February.

This designation makes federal assistance, such as emergency loans, available to agricultural producers who have suffered losses in designated counties, as well as in counties that are contiguous to a designated county. 

"I thank Secretary Vilsack and our partners at the USDA for granting this designation to these 23 counties," said Governor Abbott. "This designation will provide crucial assistance to our agricultural producers as they continue to recover from the severe winter storm. I encourage all producers who were impacted by the severe winter storm to continue working with the USDA to ensure assistance is available to all eligible producers in our state." 

Counties included in this designation are Cameron, Duval, Hidalgo, McLennan, Starr, Webb, and Zapata. Contiguous counties included in this designation are Bell, Bosque, Brooks, Coryell, Dimmit, Falls, Hill, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Kenedy, La Salle, Limestone, Live Oak, McMullen, Maverick, and Willacy.