EC Ohio News

House Agriculture Chairman Don Jones (R-Freeport) announced that a new report released by the National Drought Mitigation Center revealed that large portions of Southeast Ohio, including the entire 95th House District, are currently experiencing severe drought conditions. The affected areas encompass Belmont, Guernsey, Harrison, Noble, and Washington counties.

The U.S. Drought Monitor classifies parts of the United States into five categories: abnormally dry (D0), moderate drought (D1), severe drought (D2), extreme drought (D3), and exceptional drought (D4). According to the latest data, all counties in the 95th House District are classified as D3, qualifying them for assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA).

"I encourage anyone who is experiencing hardships with their water resources, livestock, crops, and transportation to document the issues and report this to the USDA Ohio FSA," said Jones. "Producers should contact their local USDA FSA County office by following this link."

Jones emphasized that a complete list of USDA disaster assistance programs is available online.

"There are numerous programs available to our producers to help them recover from the extremely dry conditions we're experiencing," Jones continued. "Please take the time to review the resources available and share the information with others."

Representative Jones assured constituents that he will continue to provide updates and resources as the situation evolves.