U.S. Drought Map – September 17, 2013

US Drought Conditions

About 64.09 percent of the land in the contiguous Unites States were covered by drought conditions D0 (Abnormally Dry) to D4 (Exceptional Drought) week ending September 17, 2013, up from 63.75 percent the previous week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Drought conditions D1 – D4 improved marginally to 48.19 percent, down from 50.69 percent earlier.

Weather Summary [mirrored from U.S. Drought Monitor]:

The combination of ample Gulf and Pacific tropical moisture (in part from Tropical Storms Manuel (Pacific) and Ingrid (Gulf) which inundated Mexico), stalled frontal systems, and upsloping conditions produced widespread heavy to copious rainfall (widespread 2 to 6 inches, locally 12 to 18 inches especially near Boulder, CO) and severe flash flooding in parts of New Mexico and Colorado.

Moderate to heavy rains (1.5 to 4 inches) also drenched portions of Arizona, eastern Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, south-central Montana, western sections of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and northern and southern Texas. September monsoonal rains have generated welcome relief from the drought in the Southwest, central Rockies, and High Plains, but unfortunately have been accompanied by flash flooding.

US Drought Disaster Areas

As of September 18, 2013, at least 1,345 counties and parishes, or 42.8% of all the U.S. counties and county equivalents, across 29 states have been designated as agricultural disaster areas due to the ongoing drought.

US Drought Disaster Map. At least 1,345 counties and parishes, or 42.8% of all the U.S. counties and county equivalents, across 29 states have been designated as agricultural disaster areas due to the ongoing drought since January 1, 2013. Image source: USDA

Related Links

• Agricultural Disaster Declared for 194 Counties in 13 States September 20, 2013
• Agricultural Disaster Declared for 138 counties in 14 States
• Drought 2013
• Agricultural Disasters Index

USAGI Intensifies to Super Typhoon Force

Super Typhoon USAGI punching 260-km winds, gusting 315 km/h

USAGI, the planet’s most powerful storm so far this year, and measuring abut 1,100km wide, is moving toward southern Taiwan, packing sustained winds of 260km/h with wind gusts in excess of 315km/h.

As of 03:00UTC on September 20, 2013, SUPER TYPHOON  USAGI (TY 17W, or 1319) was located near 19.0ºN 125.0ºE, about 700km NE of Manila, Philippines and was tracking northwestward at about 15km/h  causing significant wave heights of about 18 meters.

The Monster Typhoon’s outer bands have been lashing northern Luzon for the past few hours, dumping significant amounts of rain.

The center of the storm is predicted to pass near southern Taiwan, but its northeast quadrant, usually the most powerful, could lash Taiwan’s southern half, dumping more than 320mm of rain.

USAGI is forecast to track toward Hong Kong By Sunday, but would become weakened by landfall.

Typhoon USAGI (17W, or 1319). Visible/Shorwave IR Image. 2013-09-19 @ 01:32UTC. Source: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC. FIRE-EARTH Enhancement.

Typhoon USAGI (17W, or 1319) Projected Path. Source: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC.

Related Links

• FEWW New Hurricane Scale September 3, 2008
• Satellite Imagery

• Typhoon USAGI Eying Taiwan September 19, 2013

Agricultural Disaster Declared for 194 Counties in 13 States

Drought and Deluge Prompt Disaster Declarations in Multiple Regions across U.S.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 194 counties in 13 states across 5 regions as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused either by drought, or by one or more of hail, severe freezing, excessive snow, excessive rain and flooding.

• As of September 18, 2013, at least 1,345 counties and parishes, or 42.8% of all U.S. counties and county equivalents, were designated as agricultural disaster areas due to the ongoing drought.
  
• Since September 11, 2013 a total of 332 counties have been designated as Agricultural Disaster Areas.

[Notes: 1. The total number of counties designated as agricultural disaster areas includes both primary and contiguous disaster areas. 2. The USDA trigger point for a countywide disaster declaration is a 30 percent crop loss on at least one crop. 3. The U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.]

Drought Disaster

USDA has designated a total of eight counties in Idaho and Montana as Agricultural Disaster Areas.

• Idaho: Clearwater, Lewis, Idaho, Latah, Nez Perce and Shoshone counties.
• Montana: Mineral and Missoula counties.

Excessive Rain and Flooding Disasters Beginning January 1, 2013

USDA has designated 102 counties in five states—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee—as Agricultural Disaster Areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rain and flooding that began January 1, 2013, and continues.

• Alabama (64 Counties):  Autauga, Cleburne, Geneva, Macon, Baldwin, Coosa, Greene, Madison, Barbour, Covington, Hale, Marengo, Blount, Crenshaw, Henry, Mobile, Bullock, Cullman, Houston, Monroe, Calhoun, Dale, Jackson, Montgomery, Cherokee, Dallas, Jefferson, Morgan, Chilton, Elmore, Lamar, Perry, Choctaw, Etowah, Lauderdale, Pickens, Clarke, Fayette, Lowndes, Pike, Russell, St. Clair, Shelby, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Walker, Washington, Wilcox, Bibb, Coffee, Escambia, Marion, Butler, Colbert, Lawrence, Marshall, Chambers, Conecuh, Lee, Randolph, Clay, De Kalb, Limestone and Winston counties.

• Florida (5 Counties):  Escambia, Holmes, Jackson, Okaloosa and Walton.

• Georgia (13 Counties): Carroll, Clay, Floyd, Polk, Chattahoochee, Dade, Haralson, Quitman, Chattooga, Early , Muscogee, Seminole and Stewart.

• Mississippi (11 Counties): Clarke, Jackson, Lowndes, Tishomingo, George, Kemper, Monroe, Wayne, Greene, Lauderdale and Noxubee.

• Tennessee (7 Counties): Franklin, Hardin, Lincoln, Wayne, Giles, Lawrence and Marion counties.
  

Excessive Rain and Flooding Disasters Beginning May 1, 2013

USDA has designated 54 counties in three states—The Carolinas and Tennessee—as Agricultural Disaster Areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rain and flooding that began May 1, 2013, and continues.

• North Carolina (41 Counties): Avery, Cleveland, Henderson, Rutherford, Brunswick, Columbus, Madison, Transylvania, Buncombe, Durham, Orange, Watauga, Wilson, Alamance, Chatham, Jackson, New Hanover, Ashe, Edgecombe, Johnston, Pender, Bladen, Gaston, Lincoln, Burke, Granville, McDowell, Pitt, Caldwell, Greene, Mitchell, Polk, Caswell, Haywood, Nash, Person, Robeson, Wake, Wayne, Wilkes and Yancey counties.

• South Carolina (8 Counties): Cherokee, Greenville, Oconee, Spartanburg, Dillon, Horry, Pickens and York counties.

• Tennessee (5 Counties): Carter, Cocke, Greene, Johnson and Unicoi.

Disasters caused by combined effects of severe freezing and excessive snow followed by excessive rainfall and flooding that occurred January 1 – August 2, 2013

USDA has designated 22 counties in Minnesota and Iowa as Agricultural Disaster Areas due to the combined effects of severe freezing and excessive snow followed by excessive rainfall and flooding that occurred January 1 – August 2, 2013.

• Minnesota (18 Counties): Dodge, Koochiching, Mower, Steele, Freeborn, Lake of the Woods, Olmsted, Beltrami, Goodhue, Roseau, Waseca, Faribault, Itasca, St. Louis, Winona, Fillmore, Rice and Wabasha counties.
  

• Iowa (4 Counties): Howard, Mitchell, Winnebago and Worth.

Hail Disaster on August 6, 2013

USDA has designated 8 counties in Minnesota and Wisconsin as Agricultural Disaster Areas due to damages and losses caused by hail that occurred August 6, 2013.

• Minnesota: Dakota, Goodhue, Ramsey, Scott, Hennepi, Rice and Washington counties.
  

• Wisconsin: Pierce County.

Related Links

• Agricultural Disaster Declared for 138 counties in 14 States
• Drought 2013
• Agricultural Disasters Index