U.S. Drought Expands Mainly in the South, High Plains

62.34 pct of contiguous US experiencing drought or abnormally dry conditions

Drought and abnormally dry conditions covered about 62.34 percent of contiguous United States, up from 59.98 percent a week earlier.

The percentage of land areas in the lower 48 covered by “Extreme” and “Exceptional Drought” levels remained nearly unchanged, while the total areas covered by “Severe” and “Moderate Drought” levels  increased by about 4.43 percent.

Meantime, USDA designated 39 additional counties in 5 states as agricultural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by the recent drought.

• Texas: Cherokee, Rusk, Smith, Van Zandt, Wood, Anderson, Gregg, Houston, Panola, Angelina, Harrison, Hunt, Rains, Camp, Henderson, Kaufman, Shelby, Franklin, Hopkins, Nacogdoches and Upshur counties.

• Colorado: Eagle, Garfield, Lake, Routt, Grand, Pitkin and Summit counties.

• Oregon: Curry, Coos, Douglas and Josephine counties.

• California: Del Norte County.

• Idaho: Jerome, Cassia, Gooding, Lincoln, Minidoka and Twin Falls counties.

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas Aug. 28, 2013. The lists include both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

Map of the U.S. Drought Disaster areas as of August 28, 2013. At least 1,336 counties, or 42.5% of all U.S. counties¹, were designated as agricultural disaster areas² due to the ongoing drought. [The figure includes both primary and contiguous disaster designations.] Source: USDA. Map enhanced by FIRE-EARTH.

1. [U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.]
2. Agriculture officials declare disaster when crop damage has exceeded 30 percent.

UPDATED: September 6, 2013 – MAP CORRECTED!

Related Links

• Agricultural Disasters Declared for 180 U.S. Counties August 29, 2013
• U.S. Drought Expands  August 22, 2013
• U.S. Drought Map – August 13, 2013
• Drought Disaster Declared in 37 Counties Across 5 States August 15, 2013
• Agricultural Disaster Declared for Dozens of U.S. Counties August 8, 2013
• U-S Drought 2013: Fueled by Heat from Hell? January 31, 2013 [FIRE-EARTH Forecast]
• US: Drought Disaster 2013 [Index Page]
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Air Pollution Causes 200,000 Early US Deaths: Study

Victims of air pollution typically die about a decade prematurely

Air pollution causes 200,000 early deaths in the U.S., according to a new MIT study, which also finds vehicle emissions as the biggest contributor to these premature deaths.

Researchers from MIT’s Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment have tracked ground-level emissions from multiple sources including vehicle tailpipes, industrial smokestacks, marine and rail operations, and commercial and residential heating throughout the United States, and found that the pollution causes about 200,000 early deaths each year.

Highlights from the report

• Road transportation are the most significant contributor to air pollution, causing 53,000 premature deaths.

• Power generation follows closely with 52,000 deaths

• California air pollution commits about 21,000 people to early deaths annually,

• The highest emissions-related mortality rate among 5,695 U.S. cities mapped was in Baltimore, where 130 out of every 100,000 residents likely die each year due to long-term exposure to air pollution.

This graphic shows the annual average concentrations of fine particulates from U.S. sources of combustion emissions from (a) electric power generation; (b) industry; (c) commercial and residential sources; (d) road transportation; (e) marine transportation; (f) rail transportation; (g) sum of all combustion sources; (h) all sources. Graphic: Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment/MIT

“In the past five to 10 years, the evidence linking air-pollution exposure to risk of early death has really solidified and gained scientific and political traction,” says Steven Barrett, an assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT. “There’s a realization that air pollution is a major problem in any city, and there’s a desire to do something about it.”

The researchers have published their results in the journal Atmospheric Environment.

Agricultural Disasters Declared for 180 U.S. Counties

Extreme weather events, severe climatic episodes cause agricultural disasters across 14 states

Drought and Deluge, hail and high winds, severe storms and excessive rains have prompted USDA to designate 180 counties across 14 states as agricultural disaster areas.

Drought

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 39 counties in 5 states as agricultural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by the recent drought.

• Texas: Cherokee, Rusk, Smith, Van Zandt, Wood, Anderson, Gregg, Houston, Panola, Angelina, Harrison, Hunt, Rains, Camp, Henderson, Kaufman, Shelby, Franklin, Hopkins, Nacogdoches and Upshur counties.

• Colorado: Eagle, Garfield, Lake, Routt, Grand, Pitkin and Summit counties.

• Oregon: Curry, Coos, Douglas and Josephine counties.

• California: Del Norte County.

• Idaho: Jerome, Cassia, Gooding, Lincoln, Minidoka and Twin Falls counties.

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas Aug. 28, 2013. The lists include both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

Map of the U.S. Drought Disaster areas as of August 28, 2013. At least 1,336 counties, or 42.5% of all U.S. counties¹, were designated as agricultural disaster areas² due to the ongoing drought. [The figure includes both primary and contiguous disaster designations.] Source: USDA. Map enhanced by FIRE-EARTH.

1. [U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.]
2. Agriculture officials declare disaster when crop damage has exceeded 30 percent.

UPDATED: September 6, 2013 – MAP CORRECTED!

Hail, high winds and severe storm

USDA has designated seven counties in two states as agricultural disaster area due to damage and losses caused by hail, high winds and severe storms that occurred August 1, 2013, and continues.

• Montana: Park, Carbon, Gallatin, Meagher, Stillwater and Sweet Grass counties.

• Wyoming: Park County.

Excessive Rain and Flooding

USDA has designated 68 counties across six states as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rain and flooding that occurred March 1, 2013, and continues.

• Tennessee: Bradley, Hamilton, Macon, Rhea, Greene, Knox, Smith, Unicoi, Cocke, Hardin, Marion, Sequatchie, Washington, Anderson, Clay, Hawkins, Decatur, Jefferson, Polk, Sevier, Monroe, Benton, Cumberland, Henderson, Putnam, Blount, Franklin, Loudon, Sumner, Chester, Hamblen, Meigs, Roane, Carroll, Grainger, McMinn, Trousdale, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Sullivan, Carter, Grundy, McNairy, Wayne, Wilson, Perry, Bledsoe, De Kalb and Jackson counties.

• Alabama: Jackson and Lauderdale counties.

• Georgia: Catoosa, Fannin, Walker, Dade, Murray and Whitfield counties.

• Kentucky: Allen and Monroe counties.

• Mississippi: Alcorn and Tishomingo counties.

• North Carolina: Cherokee,  Madison,  Swain, Haywood, Mitchell and Yancey counties.

Agricultural Disaster Declared in ALL 46 South Carolina Counties due to Excessive Rain and Flooding

USDA has designated the entire state of South Carolina and 20 other counties across Georgia and North Carolina as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rain and flooding that occurred March 1, 2013, and continues.

• South Carolina: ALL 46 counties. Aiken, Chesterfield, Greenville, Orangeburg, Berkeley, Dorchester, Lee, Sumter, Allendale, Clarendon, Hampton, Pickens, Calhoun, Edgefield, Marion, Union, Bamberg, Colleton, Horry, Richland, Charleston, Florence, Marlboro, Williamsburg, Barnwell, Darlington, Jasper, Saluda, Cherokee, Georgetown, Newberry, York, Beaufort, Dillon, Laurens, Spartanburg, Anderson, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Abbeville, Chester, Greenwood, Lancaster, Oconee and McCormick counties.

• Georgia: Burke, Columbia, Richmond, Chatham, Effingham and Screven counties.

• North Carolina: Anson, Columbus, Mecklenburg, Robeson, Cleveland, Henderson, Richmond, Scotland, Brunswick, Gaston, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania and Union counties.

Related Links

• U.S. Drought Expands  August 22, 2013
• U.S. Drought Map – August 13, 2013
• Drought Disaster Declared in 37 Counties Across 5 States August 15, 2013
• Agricultural Disaster Declared for Dozens of U.S. Counties August 8, 2013
• U-S Drought 2013: Fueled by Heat from Hell? January 31, 2013 [FIRE-EARTH Forecast]
• US: Drought Disaster 2013 [Index Page]
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Iraq Carnage Negates All Human Values

Iraq Carnage: 110 People Killed in 36 Hrs

1 Policeman was beheaded, 14 people killed by gunfire, including 7 family members, 15 murdered by IEDs, and 80 were killed in 18 bomb explosions over the past 36 hours.

The monthly death toll for August so far stands at 823 civilians killed, and as many as 2,000 others wounded.

The latest killings bloodied the cities of Baghdad, Mosul, Latifiya, Falluja, Baiji, Qayyara and Jalawla, according to reports.

Saudis, Qataris and other Arab regimes that help perpetuate the sectarian slaughter in Iraq and Syria must realize that they will NOT escape the global “de-Islamization” unscathed.

UNAMI Stats for Armed Violence in Iraq

According to information collected by UNAMI, a minimum of 928 were killed (including 204 civilian police) a further 2109 were injured (including 338 civilian police) in ongoing armed violence in Iraq during July 2013.

• In June 2013, 685 civilians were killed and 1610 were injured.

• In May 2013, 963 civilians were killed and 2191 were injured.

• In April 2013, 595 civilians were killed and 1481 were injured.

• In March 2013, 229 civilians were killed and 853 were injured.

• In February 2013, 418 civilians were killed and 704 were injured.

• In January 2013, 319 civilians were killed and 960 were injured.

• In December 2012, 230 civilians were killed and 655 were injured.

• In November 2012, 445 civilians were killed and 1306 were injured.

ALL figures remain estimates until full investigation and analysis has been carried out, said UNAMI.

Related Links

• Destabilization of Middle East Intensifies August 26, 2013

RIM FIRE Now 6th Largest in Calif. History

RIM FIRE spreads to 192,466 acres

The massive blaze grew by an estimated 5,000 acres since this morning to a total of at least 192,466 acres (300mi², or 779km²), climbing to the 6th position on the Top 20 chart of largest California wildfires.

Burning mainly in Stanislaus National Forest, the ferocious fire has also devoured about 45,000 acres of Yosemite National Park.

The monster blaze has surrounded Cherry Lake and Lake Eleanor, a part of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir system in the northwestern backcountry of Yosemite National Park, reached the southern edge of the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir late Tuesday, and is now spreading on the western side of the lake.

YNP officials closed Tioga Road, a second key route into the park on Wednesday, which “will limit the access for visitors to and from the east side of the park, quite possibly over Labor Day weekend, which will have a significant economic impact on the area and [be] an inconvenience for visitors,” said a park official.

Some 4,537 personnel have reportedly contained about 30 percent of the fire.

RIM FIRE – fire activity on the South Flank. Photo credit: USFS/Mike McMillan

Links and Background Information

• RIM FIRE Reaches Hetch Hetchy Reservoir August 28, 2013
• RIM FIRE Balloons to 288mi²  August 28, 2013
• RIM FIRE Spreads to about 180,000 Acres August 27, 2013
• RIM FIRE Raining Ash on Key SF Reservoir August 27, 2013
• RIM FIRE continues to grow; burns 23mi² in YNP  August 26, 2013
• RIM FIRE Forces New Closures at Yosemite National Park August 25, 2013
• State of Emergency Declared for SF due to RIM FIRE August 24, 2013
• RIM FIRE Crosses into Yosemite National Park August 24, 2013
• State of Emergency Declared as Calif. Wildfire Explodes August 23, 2013
• Large Wildfires in the West Burn Homes, Force More Evacuations August 21, 2013
• State of Emergency Declared in 31 Montana Counties due to Wildfires August 20, 2013
• Beaver Creek Fire Consumes 100,000 acres
• “Take Your Essentials Belongings and Pets and GO NOW” August 18, 2013