Farmers in 39 counties, many of those here in Eastern Carolina, could be eligible for federal disaster assistance because of too much rain.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack designated 13 counties as disaster areas after excessive rain and flooding caused significant crop loses. Another 26 adjacent counties will also be eligible.

The thirteen counties were named primary natural disaster areas: Camden, Carteret, Craven, Currituck, Durham, Granville, Greene, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pasquotank, Pender and Washington counties. In addition, 26 counties were named contiguous natural disaster areas: Alamance, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Caswell, Chatham, Columbus, Dare, Duplin, Franklin, Gates, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Pamlico, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Sampson, Tyrrell, Vance, Wake, Wayne and Wilson counties.

Soybean, cotton and wheat crops have been particularly impacted by the wet winter. Farmers in those counties will be considered for Farm Service Agency emergency loans and for the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program.