The USDA Secretary designated Hawaii County in Hawaii as a primary natural disaster area based on a request from the Hawaii FSA Executive Director. Wind, rain, and flooding from August 7-9, 2014 caused sufficient production losses to warrant the designation. This makes farmers in Hawaii County and contiguous counties eligible for FSA emergency loans and other assistance if eligibility requirements are met.

1. USDA
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United States Department of Agriculture
September 3, 2014
The Honorable Neil Abercrombie
Governor
State of Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Dear Governor Abercrombie:
Office of the Secretary
Washington, D.C. 20250
On August 18, 2014, the Hawaii State Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency (FSA),
Department of Agriculture (USDA), requested a primary county disaster designation for
Hawaii County in Hawaii, due to damages and losses caused by wind, rain, and flooding that
occurred from August 7 through August 9, 2014.
USDA reviewed the Loss Assessment Reports and determined that there were sufficient
production losses to warrant a Secretarial natural disaster designation. Therefore, I am
designating Hawaii County in Hawaii, as a primary natural disaster area.
A Secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators in primary counties and those counties
contiguous to such primary counties eligible to be considered for certain assistance from the
FSA, provided eligibility requirements are met. This assistance includes FSA emergency loans.
Farmers in eligible counties have 8 months from the date of a Secretarial disaster declaration to
apply for emergency loans. FSA considers each emergency loan application on its own merits,
taking into account the extent of production losses on the farm, and the security and repayment
ability of the operator.
Local FSA offices can provide affected farmers with further information.
Sincerely,
~C}.~L.
ThomasJ.~k
Secretary
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