WASHINGTON, D.C. – Jefferson County has been one of nine West Virginia counties designated as a natural disaster area by the United States Department of Agriculture, a declaration which U.S. Sens. Jay Rockefellar and Carte Goodwin applauded.

The senators had sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in support of West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin’s request to declare the Eastern Panhandle’s counties, and adjacent counties, a disaster area.

Excessive heat and drought conditions since April have prompted the USDA to proclaim Jefferson, Berkeley, Morgan, Grant, Mineral, Pendleton, Hampshire, Preston and Hardy counties as disaster areas. Six other counties will also receive disaster relief because they are contiguous to the nine disaster areas.

Farmers will be eligible for low interest emergency loans from the Department’s Farm Service Agency as long as they meet certain criteria.