Ag Disaster: All of Louisiana and 27 Miss., Ark., and Texas Counties

Floods, drought and other nasty weather have made all of Louisiana – and 27 adjacent counties in Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas – an agricultural disaster area for 2011.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says its declaration is based on combined effects of severe storms, tornadoes, severe spring flooding, Tropical Storm Lee, widespread drought and excessive heat since Jan. 1.

Thursday’s declaration means farmers who lost money because of bad weather can apply for aid including low interest loans.

It covers 64 Louisiana parishes, 12 Mississippi counties, nine in Texas and six in Arkansas.

The counties are:

Arkansas: Ashley, Chicot, Columbia, Lafayette, Miller, Union.

Mississippi: Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Hancock, Issaquena, Jefferson, Marion, Pike, Pearl River, Walthall, Warren, Wilkinson.

Texas: Cass, Harrison, Jefferson, Marion, Newton, Orange, Panola, Sabine, Shelby.