BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 42 counties in North Dakota as natural disaster areas due to weather related losses this year.

The losses are from the combined effects of snowstorms, frosts and freezes, as well as flooding, hail, tornadoes and other weather-related events.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the designation gives farmers in the counties needed federal disaster assistance for their agricultural industry.

The counties are: Barnes, Benson, Billings, Bottineau, Burke, Cass, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Eddy, Foster, Golden Valley, Grand Forks, Grant, Griggs, Hettinger, La Moure, McHenry, McIntosh,
McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Mountrail, Nelson, Oliver, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Steele, Stutsman, Towner, Traill, Walsh, Ward, Wells and Williams.