U.S. Counties Declared Disaster Areas

Dozens of counties across 13 states designated agricultural disaster areas

USDA has designated 151 additional counties (includes both primary and contiguous designations and some duplications) across 13 states as agricultural disaster areas. All but 9 of the designations were due to drought and excessive heat.

The states are Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont and Utah.

• USDA has now designated a total of 2,645 counties as agricultural disaster areas thus far in 2012 [includes 2,206  counties listed as primary and 439 as contiguous disaster areas.] The designations extend across the lower 48, Hawaii and D.C.

[NOTE: The disaster list represents 85 percent of all 3,143 counties and county-equivalents in the U.S.]

DROUGHT DISASTER MAP. All Drought Disaster Incidents as of 10/24/2012- Map provided by USDA Farm Service Agency Production, Emergencies and Compliance Division.

• See also: List of Designated Drought Disaster Counties (PDF, 574KB)

Additional Drought Information

• Drought is expected to persist into winter across most of Rockies, Great Plains and Midwest.
• More than two-thirds of winter wheat is currently in drought
• Up to 55% of crops are in poor to very poor conditions

U.S. Drought Map, October 23, 2012. Released by US Drought Monitor on October 23, 2012.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Aditional U.S. Counties Declared Disaster Areas

West Nile Virus (WNV) – Update

219 deaths caused by WNV infections in the U.S. (YTD)

As of October 23, 2012,  five thousand two hundred and one [4,725 cases tabulated] human West Nile virus infections have been reported to CDC ArboNET from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

• About 35% of the total cases were reported from Texas.

U.S. Update: West Nile virus (WNV) activity reported to ArboNET

Neuroinvasive disease cases comprise 51% of the reported total for the year with the remaining 49% recorded as nonneuroinvasive disease cases. Five hundred and sixty two WNV presumptive viremic blood donors (PVDs) have been reported at this time, CDC said.

Incidence by state map data description: West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease incidence maps reflect surveillance reports released by state and local health departments to CDC’s ArboNET system for public distribution. Map shows the incidence of human neuroinvasive disease (encephalitis, meningitis, and/or acute flaccid paralysis) by state for 2012 with shading ranging from .01 to 0.24, 0.25 to 0.49, 0.50 to 0.99, and greater than 1.0 per 100,000 population.

Related Links

• WNV Infections Continue Rising Posted October 22, 2012
• Rising Threat of Fungal Infections: Exserohilum Rostratum Posted October 11, 2012

• West Nile Virus Activity Intensifying Posted October 1, 2012

• United States: West Nile Virus (WNV) – [UPDATED Sept 20, 2012]
• WNV Cases Climb 71%, Deaths Up 89% Posted September 6, 2012
• U.S. Facing Worst Ever WNV Outbreak  Posted August 25, 2012