Those in central Alabama hurt by last year’s drought are running out of time to apply for help from the federal government.
The Small Business Administration says April 25 is the deadline for residents of seven Alabama counties to apply for disaster loans related to the drought. Assistance is available for those in Calhoun, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, St. Clair, Shelby and Talladega Counties, which saw some of the worst conditions during Alabama’s dry spell.
The latest federal statistics show 70 percent of Alabama is still abnormally dry or experiencing some form of drought condition. But that’s a huge improvement from December, when nearly the entire state was in a severe drought.
Currently, the state’s worst drought conditions are in southern Jefferson County and northern Shelby County, as well as small portions of Tuscaloosa and Walker Counties.