Drought: State of Emergency Declared in Wisconsin

Drought conditions prompt Wisconsin Gov to declare a state of emergency in 42 southern and central counties

Drought has hit plants during the most vulnerable time in their growing cycle, killing their pollen.

“The lack of rainfall since May in the southern half of the state has hit hard in a crucial part of the growing season,” Walker said in a statement. “Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service reports this week that most of the land in these counties is short or very short of soil moisture.”

• With 78,000 farms across the state, Wisconsin is the nation’s top producer of cranberries, oats and snap peas and is among the top-five producing states of potatoes, maple syrup, sweet corn, green peas, cucumbers for pickles, and other crops, said Wisconsin Department of Agriculture.

• The state is also home to about 13,000 dairy farms with an average of 100 cows.

• All counties in the southern half of the state are affected.

U.S. Drought Map. Released July 5, 2012

Links to Recent Related Entries

• U.S. Corn Belt Hit by Drought, Heat Wave Posted on July 9, 2012
• Record Heatwave Kills Dozens in U.S. Posted on July 8, 2012
• Drought Disaster Declared in Montana Posted on July 5, 2012
• Colorado Declared Agri Disaster Area Posted on July 4, 2012

• Disaster Declared in 94 Counties across 4 States Posted on July 3, 2012
• Deadly Heat Blankets Eastern U.S. Posted on July 2, 2012
• States of Emergency Declared in 4 States and DC as Storm Death Toll Rises Posted  on July 1, 2012
• Deadly Heat Wave Affects Third of U.S. Population Posted on June 30, 2012
• The record-setting heat wave continues to expand Posted on June 30, 2012
• Explosive Wildfires Continue Erupting Across the U.S. Posted on June 29, 2012
• Destructive Wildfire Activity Intensifies in Colorado Posted on June 28, 2012
• Drought 2012 Posted on January 8, 2012

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

• China.  Epic flooding and massive landslides spawned by extreme rain events have buried parts of 8 provinces in China affecting about 20 million people. Deaths, destruction and evacuations are occurring in Jiangsu, Anhui and Shandong provinces in east China, Henan and Hubei provinces in central China, Chongqing Municipality and Sichuan Province in southwest China and Shaanxi Province in northwest China,Xinhua reported. The official weekly toll currently stands at:
  • Dead or missing:  100 people
  • Displaced: 1.17 million people
  • Houses destroyed: 66,000
  • Destroyed or damaged crops: 982,400 hectares
    
  • A mile-wide landslide in Sichuan province is currently burying everything in it path, threatening to block rivers and cause additional disasters.
  • More than 113.36 million people, about 9 percent of the China’s population, have been affected by natural disasters (floods, hail and landslides has had the greatest impact, followed by droughts, earthquakes, snowstorms and typhoons), with at least 465 dead and and 97 missing in the first half of this year, the report said.