Monday, Jan 14 2013 2:01PM

Nearly 600 counties are eligible for emergency loans from the USDA due to drought.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) classified 597 counties in 14 states as disaster areas in the first weeks of 2013 due to drought and high heat.

These communities are eligible to receive low-interest emergency loans from the USDA to cover losses and help them meet their needs. Emergency funding is typically provided to farmers, ranchers and businesses in these locations that depend on access to water system services to contribute to economic community development. The drought of 2012 was considered the worst since the 1950s, and the USDA hopes that by extending emergency loans in 2013, the country can avoid crop shortages and other economic calamities.

"As drought persists, the USDA will continue to partner with producers to see them through longer-term recovery, while taking the swift actions needed to help farmers and ranchers prepare their land and operations for the upcoming planting season," said USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "I will also continue to work with Congress to encourage passage of a Food, Farm and Jobs bill that gives rural America the long-term certainty it needs, including a strong and defensible safety net."

Some counties across the country have been affected by drought more heavily than others, and the USDA took this into account when declaring disaster areas. Thirty counties in Colorado are eligible to receive emergency funding, along with two in Hawaii, 19 in New Mexico, 9 in Nevada and 17 in Utah.

For more information, check out this resource: The U.S. Department of Agriculture