Crop Disasters Declared in Three U.S. States

Extreme Weather Events Destroy Crops in 36 Counties across Three States

Extreme Weather Events have destroyed or damaged crops in at least 36 counties across three states: Wisconsin, Virginia and North Carolina.

Disaster Designation # 1

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 14 counties in Wisconsin as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a late frost and freeze that occurred from May 17, 2015, through June 6, 2015.

Disaster Designation # 2

USDA has designated a total of 22 counties in Virginia and North Carolina as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by flooding that occurred from Sept. 24, 2015, through Oct. 6, 2015.

All counties were designated natural disaster areas on Jan. 06, 2016.

Crop Disasters 2015

USDA declared crop disasters in at least 4,017 counties and county equivalents across 46 States [as well as Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands] in 2015. Those states are Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

• About 99 percent of the 2015 crop disaster designations were due to drought last year.

Crop Disasters 2014

In 2014, USDA declared crop disasters in at least 2,904 counties across 44 states. Most of the designations were due to drought.

Those states were:

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan. Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. [FIRE-EARTH has documented all of the above listings. See blog content.]

Notes:
i. USDA trigger point for a countywide disaster declaration is 30 percent crop loss on at least one crop.

ii. The counties designated as agricultural disaster areas, as listed above, include both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

iii. Some counties may have been designated as crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

iv. The U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.

Related Links

• Crop Disasters Declared in Five U.S. States December 24, 2015
• Crop Disasters Declared in North Carolina, Virginia December 19, 2015

• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Montana December 19, 2015
• Crop Disasters Declared in Alabama, Florida, Georgia December 10, 2015
• Crop Disasters Declared in the Carolinas December 3, 2015
• Crop Disasters Declared in Kansas December 3, 2015
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Michigan and Ohio November 26, 2015
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Six U.S. States November 22, 2015
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Heightened Seismicity Continues Across U.S.

Seismic Map of the United States (7 Days – All Magnitudes)

At lease 1,382 earthquakes of all magnitudes (82 percent of the global total) have struck the United States (excl. territories) in the 7 days to 2016-01-08 at 14:45:15 UTC, based on the data provided by the USGS/EHP.

Seismic map of the United States Seismic Map of the United States (7 Days to 2016-01-08 14:45:15 UTC – All Magnitudes)

EQ Totals – 7 Days to 2016-01-08 14:45:15 UTC – All Magnitudes

Global Events: 1,686
U.S. Events: 1,382 (Excl. Territories)
Source: USGS/EHP Archive

Monster Bushfire Destroys Town in W. Australia

WTS

States of Emergency Declared in W. Australia as Massive Bushfire Intensifies

The so-called Waroona fire has razed the historic town of Yarloop, consumed about 55,000  hectares and is threatening more towns south of Perth, including the dairy and beef town of Harvey, after breaching containment lines.

At least three people from Yarloop are unaccounted for and about 100 homes have been razed after a massive bushfire ripped through the WA town.

States of Emergency have been declared for shires of Harvey and Waroona, and surrounding areas including Preston Beach, and mass evacuations have been initiated.

.

Conditions have been “extremely difficult”, with the blaze unpredictable and fanned by heavy wind gusts, WA Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Wayne Gregson said.

“I believe we’ve had what I would suggest [are] catastrophic losses within Yarloop,” he said.

“These are, as yet, to be definitively confirmed figures, but it appears that we’ve lost around 95 houses, a number of structures within the town site including some of the historical buildings, the workshops, some factories, and an impact at 70 per cent on the demountable component of the local school,” he said.

“Also losses to post offices, adjacent stores and our own fire station infrastructure.

“Sadly we have three people unaccounted for from Yarloop. We are making inquiries … at the moment.”

 A spot fire burns in Cookernup after ash from the Waroona bushfire was blown into the area. Audience submitted to ABC.NET.AU.: Tyler Ross-Clarke. More images…

Fanned by gusty winds exceeding 60km/h and 40 degree temperatures, the fire intensified overnight, and windy conditions are said to persist today.

More on this story

• Live: WA bushfire tears through Yarloop
• Almost 100 homes lost in WA bushfire
• Residents speak of desperate flight from fire
• Illustrated guide to defending against a bushfire
• Residents recall horror of ‘tumbling wave of fire’
• Pinjarra rallies to help stranded evacuees