NE COUNTIES NAMED DISASTERS

SIOUXLAND---The U.S. Department of Agriculture has named 15 counties in Nebraska as disaster areas due to this year's flooding.

The USDA designated the counties on Monday as primary disaster areas from the flooding that began on May 1.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the move provides help to hundreds of producers who suffered crops losses and significant building damage.

The counties are Boyd, Burt, Cass, Cedar, Dakota, Dixon, Douglas, Knox, Lincoln, Nemaha, Otoe, Richardson, Sarpy, Thurston and Washington.

Farmers and ranchers in contiguous counties in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and South Dakota also qualify for assistance.

The disaster designation means qualified farmers are eligible for low interest emergency loans from the USDA's Farm Service Agency.