NORTHAMPTON — Along with five other Massachusetts counties, Hampshire and Franklin counties have been declared a disaster area by the U.S. Department of Agriculture due to losses caused by flooding from July 9-16.

Gov. Maura Healey and the state’s congressional delegation highlighted the declaration, which allows farms to apply for low-interest loans and refinance existing loans, and gives farmers access to emergency funds for cleanup.

“We estimate that 110 farms and 2,700 acres have been impacted by recent severe weather, with $15 million in losses — and we expect those numbers to grow,” Ashley Randle, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, said in a statement.

“Massachusetts farmers should know that their government has their backs,” Healey said in a statement. “Our administration is committed to using every option to deliver relief to farmers, including state aid, the launch of the Massachusetts Farm Resiliency Fund, and additional efforts to secure federal assistance for municipalities and farms.”

Federal support follows various local and state efforts to compensate farmers for their losses, including a $20 million fund included in the state budget, the philanthropic resiliency fund organized by the governor’s office in conjunction with the United Way of Central Massachusetts, and various online fundraisers.

Congressional lawmakers thanked the Biden administration for approving the declaration, but said more must be done.

“This declaration will unlock resources to help farmers and their families rebuild,” Sen. Ed Markey said in a statement. “But this is only the first step. We need to match the resilience of these communities with climate resilience so we can better protect farmers and our food systems for generations to come.”

The other counties designated as natural disaster areas are Berkshire, Hampden, Bristol, Norfolk and Worcester. Contiguous counties are also eligible, including Dukes, Middlesex, Plymouth and Suffolk.

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