USDA Declares Drought Disaster in Seven Maine Counties
Federal designation makes emergency loans and SBA disaster relief available to farmers and businesses in 14 eligible Maine counties.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Agriculture
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated seven Maine counties as natural disaster areas due to ongoing drought, and seven contiguous counties are also eligible for assistance. The U.S. Small Business Administration has made drought-related loans available to businesses and nonprofits in the eligible counties.
Why it matters
The designation opens emergency loan access for Maine farmers facing drought losses and gives affected businesses a path to low-interest federal financing. More than 55% of the state is currently under at least severe drought, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map.
The USDA designation rests on U.S. Drought Monitor readings of severe or extreme drought for eight or more consecutive weeks, with SBA loans capped at $2 million and offered at rates as low as 4%. Whether the current drought conditions will persist beyond the present assessment period was not addressed.
The players
U.S. Department of Agriculture
The federal agency responsible for agricultural policy and disaster designations, which determined the natural disaster status for Maine counties based on drought monitoring data.
U.S. Small Business Administration
The federal agency that provides disaster loans to businesses and nonprofits, and which has made drought-related loans available in the eligible Maine counties.
Farm Service Agency
The USDA agency that administers emergency farm loans, and which is making loans available to producers in the 14 eligible Maine counties.
The details
The USDA designated Cumberland, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc and Waldo counties as natural disaster areas, with Androscoggin, Franklin, Oxford, Penobscot, Somerset, Washington and York counties also eligible. The Farm Service Agency is offering emergency loans that can replace equipment and livestock or refinance debts, while the SBA is providing loans to businesses and nonprofits that suffered drought-related operating expenses since September 15.
Timeline
September 15, 2025: Entire state was under at least moderate drought conditions.
Summer and fall 2025: Dry conditions triggered the first drought and natural disaster declaration.
Early 2026: Drought subsided following a rainy spring.
Mid-August 2026: Many counties began experiencing partial severe drought conditions.
Mid-September 2026: The coastal stretch from Cumberland to Hancock entered extreme drought.
Roadmap
Maine's drought is a repeat event, as the USDA also declared the state's drought a natural disaster in 2025 under the same Farm Service Agency emergency loan framework. The current designation shows that groundwater recovery from prior droughts remains incomplete, a stated cause of the present conditions.
Farmers and businesses in the 14 eligible counties can apply for FSA emergency loans to replace equipment, livestock or refinance debts. SBA disaster loans offer rates as low as 4% and no payments for the first 12 months, with terms up to 30 years.
The takeaway
Maine producers and businesses in eligible counties should check their county's status and apply promptly, since emergency loans and SBA disaster financing are available only in designated areas. Monitoring the U.S. Drought Monitor can help track whether conditions in your county are changing.
Further reading
Explore more Maine Agriculture coverage for context on how drought conditions affect the state's farms.
More information
Apply through the USDA Farm Service Agency disaster assistance programs for emergency loans in eligible Maine counties.
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