Covington County is among 50 counties for which the U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a natural disaster declaration because of damage caused by excessive rains and floods this year, the Associated Press reported Thursday.

The declaration makes farmers in those counties eligible to be considered for benefits from the USDA.

The declaration came after Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley wrote a letter to U.S Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack requesting assistance for farmers in counties hit hard by rain.

Alabama Agriculture Commissioner John McMillan said 2013 has been one of the wettest years ever. This year, farmers in some areas boasted of record crops because of heavy rain and cool temperatures while others had damages.

The 49 other counties covered by the primary natural disaster designation are: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Blount, Bullock, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Cleburne, Coosa, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, Dallas, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lowndes, Macon ,Madison, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Russell, St. Clair, Shelby, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Washington and Wilcox.