Barbour, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Pike counties were declared primary disaster areas Nov. 16 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from damage caused by Hurricane Michael. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue saw the damage when he visited the Wiregrass with U.S. Rep. Martha Roby earlier that day. Farmers have eight months from the secretarial disaster declaration to apply for emergency loans through their local Farm Service Agency offices. From left are Perdue, Roby and Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell.