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DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,214 Days Left
[November 14, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,214 Days Left to the most Fateful Dayin Human History
Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...
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Global Disasters/ Significant Events
Global 2011 CO2 emissions top 34 billion metric tons: IWR
Global CO2 emissions again reached a new record in 2011 rising 2.5 percent to 34 billion metric tons (bmt), compared with 33.2 bmt in 2010, as humanoids continued to consume ever-increasing amounts of fossil fuels, according to IWR, a renewable energy institute based in Germany.
Global CO2 emissions have risen by more than 50 percent in two decades.
In 1990, some 22.7 bmt of carbon dioxide were emitted globally, IWR reported.
“China comes highest in the CO2 ranking of countries for 2011 with 8.9 bn metric tons of carbon dioxide (2010: 8.3 bn metric tons). That is 50 percent more than the USA with 6.0 bn metric tons (2010: 6.2 bn metric tons), which ranked second. At 1.8 bn metric tons (2010: 1.7 bn metric tons), India ranks third ahead of Russia with 1.67 bn metric tons (2010: 1.7 bn metric tons) and Japan with 1.3 bn metric tons (2010: 1.3 bn metric tons). Germany ranks 6th with 804 m metric tons (2010: 828 m metric tons). Among the top 10 largest emitters, the USA, Russia and Germany reduced their CO2 emissions in comparison to the previous year (all national results at http://www.cerina.org/de/co2-2011),” said IWR.
Monthly mean atmospheric carbon dioxide at Mauna Loa Observatory. Source: ESRL
Annual mean carbon dioxide growth rates for Mauna Loa. Decadal averages of the growth rate are plotted as horizontal lines for 1960 through 1969, 1970 through 1979, and so on. Source: ESRL
U.S. drought areas change less than 1 percent since a week ago
As of October 2, 2012, Abnormally Dry to Exceptional Drought levels (drought conditions D0 – D4 on the US Drought Monitor chart) covered 75.90% of Contiguous U.S. compared with 76.59% a week ago, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
IF YOU WRECKED A HOLIDAY INN MOTEL ROOM , YOU’D PROBABLY GO TO JAIL.
Northern Hemisphere Ice Cover Continues Shrinking
The Arctic Sea Ice Extent shrank to 3.46 million square kilometers (3,456,695.22 km²) on September 12, 2012, according to National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).
Multi sensor Analyzed Sea Ice Extent – Northern Hemisphere (MASIE -NH), September 11, 2012. Source: The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)
Northern Hemisphere ice cover (million km²). Center for Ocean and Ice, Danish Meteorological Institute
Original Caption: The total area of sea ice is the sum of First Year Ice (FYI), Multi Year Ice (MYI) and the area of ambiguous ice types, from the OSISAF ice type product. However, the total estimated ice area is underestimated due to unclassified coastal regions where mixed land/sea pixels confuse the applied ice type algorithm. The shown sea ice extent values are therefore recommended be used qualitatively in relation to ice extent values from other years shown in the figure. In late 2012 sea ice climatology and anomaly data will be available here.
Wildfire threatens about 500 residences near towns of North Fork and Gibbonsville, ID
The Mustang Complex resulted from five fires—the Mustang, Broomtail, Roan, Cayuse and East Butte fires—ignited by thunderstorms and lightning over the weekend of July 28-29.
As of September 9th (20:00MDT), the Mustang Complex had grown to 261,010 acres, Inciweb reported.
The massive blaze currently threatens homes, businesses, and natural resources.
The blaze is currently 16 percent contained.
Several destructive fires are burning mostly unchecked across the U.S. West.
The 2012 fire season has already seen record-breaking fires in Colorado, New Mexico and Oregon.
Mustang Complex Notification and Evacuation Plan. Inciweb.
Red Flag Warnings are currently in effect in parts of at least 13 states.
U.S. Weather Hazards Map.Source: NWS
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
British Columbia, Canada. BC authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders for more than 2,000 people in and around the Okanagan community of Peachland, after an intense wildfire consumed more than 100 hectares nearby, reports said.
Shell to drill Chukchi Sea, violating air-quality standards
“EPA said it granted Shell a compliance order allowing the company’s fleet to emit pollutants at levels beyond limits set in a major permit issued to the company in January,” said a report.
That preliminary drilling is imminent, said Shell’s Alaska spokesman, Friday. “It’s likely to begin this weekend.”
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
China Earthquakes Update
Eighty people are confirmed dead and at least 820 others injured after two earthquakes struck SW China, according to official news.
An unspecified number of people are missing, and the death toll could climb.
The quakes struck a region near Yiliang county in Yunnan and Weining county in Guizhou Province on Friday.
“More than 200,000 people in Yunnan were relocated as more than 6,600 houses collapsed and another 430,000 damaged. Direct economic losses were estimated at 3.5 billion yuan (552 million U.S. dollars), according to the civil affairs department,” said a report.
More than 11,700 houses in Guizhou province have also been damaged.
At least 300 schools in the quake zone have also been damaged.
Louisiana’s Department of Health and Hospitals (LDHH) have confirmed 53 new human cases of the West Nile infections, marking 145 reported cases and 9 deaths so far this year.
At least 31 of the new cases are neuroinvasive disease, which infects the spinal cord and brain and can lead to death, LDHH reported.
United States is in the midst of “one of the largest West Nile outbreaks ever seen,” said Dr. Lyle Peterson, director of vector-borne infectious diseases section at CDC.
About 1,331 reported cases of the disease have occurred in 38 states including about 640 Neuroinvasive disease cases, leading to at least 46 deaths so far this year.
Nine other states have reported “some activity.”
Texas, the worst-hit state, has reported 641 cases with 24 deaths so far this year.
Since 1999, more than 30,000 people in the United States have been infected with West Nile virus. Occasionally, a person infected with the mosquito-borne disease may develop more severe symptoms including “West Nile encephalitis,” “West Nile meningitis” or “West Nile meningoencephalitis.” CDC reported.
The 1,331 cases thus far in 2012 is the highest number of West Nile virus disease cases reported to CDC through the third week in August since West Nile virus was first detected in the United States in 1999.
About 75 percent of the cases have been reported from 5 states (Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Dakota, and Oklahoma) and almost half of all cases have been reported from Texas.
About 13,000 of the individuals who have been reported as being infected West Nile virus since 1999 have been seriously ill, and more than 1,200 have died, CDC said.
WNV Infection Causes Kidney Disease
WNV infection causes serious and lasting kidney damage, according to a new report by Baylor College of Medicine. Researchers found that 4 in 10 patients had varying stages of kidney disease caused by WNV infection.
About 45,000 people in Houston area have been infected with the virus, many of whom are unaware of it, the report said.
West Nile virus (WNV) activity reported to ArboNET, by state, United States, 2012 (as of August 21, 2012)
One thousand three hundred thirty-one (1,331) human West Nile virus infections have been reported to CDC ArboNET from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
South Korea. Reactor No. 1 at the Ulchin nuclear power plant located in South Korea’s North Kyongsang province stopped operating on Thursday for “unknown reasons,” the Yonhap news agency reported.
FIRE-EARTH estimates the Northern Hemisphere sea ice extent dropped below 4.5 million km² on August 19, 2012.
A week earlier (August 13, 2012), the Northern Hemisphere sea ice extent was 5.09 million square kilometers (1.97 million square miles), which was 2.69 million km² below the 1979 to 2000 average extent for the date, and 483,000 km² below the previous record low set in 2007, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).
FEWW model shows the Arctic sea ice extent could fall below 3.8 million km² during the 2012 melt season with a probability of 0.7 [P≥65%]
Arctic ice cover shrank to a new record low of 4.28 km² in 2007, about 23 percent below the previous record set in 2005 and almost 40 percent lower than the 1979 – 2000 average.
Arctic Ice Cover Maps for August 13 and 19, 2012. Source: NSIDC
Arctic Sea Ice Extent: Area of ocean with at least 15% sea ice. Source: NSIDC
The graph above shows Arctic sea ice extent as of August 13, 2012, along with daily ice extent data for the previous five years. 2012 is shown in blue, 2011 in orange, 2010 in pink, 2009 in navy, 2008 in purple, and 2007 in green. The gray area around the average line shows the two standard deviation range of the data. Source: NSIDC
“The average pace of ice loss since late June has been rapid at just over 100,000 square kilometers (38,000 square miles) per day. However, this pace nearly doubled for a few days in early August during a major Arctic cyclonic storm,” said NSIDC.
Two-thirds of the United States is now experiencing moderate to extreme drought
USDA has designated 76 additional counties [2012 total of 1,369 counties] in six states [total of 31 states] as primary natural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by drought and excessive heat.
During the 2012 crop year, USDA has designated 1,369 counties across 31 states as disaster areas—1,234 due to drought. The drought disaster declaration list also includes numerous other counties designated as contiguous disaster areas.
Most of the drought-stricken areas from Kansas to Ohio need in excess of 10 inches of rain to break the drought, said a National Weather Service meteorologist, however, little precipitation is on the horizon.
“Monday’s crop ratings showed losses on par with the damage seen during the 1988 drought if these conditions persist,” said Bryce Knorr, senior editor for Farm Futures Magazine. “Weather so far has taken almost 4 billion bushels off the corn crop, so a lot of demand must still be rationed.”
List of the most recent counties declared as drought disaster areas by USDA on July 25:
Kansas. USDA has declared 47 counties in Kansas as agricultural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by the ongoing drought.
List of the 25 primary disaster areas: Chase, Franklin, Lincoln, Osage, Dickinson, Geary, Marion, Osborne, Douglas, Jefferson, Miami, Ottawa, Ellis, Johnson, Mitchell, Rush, Ellsworth, Leavenworth, Morris, Russell, Saline, Shawnee, Smith, Wabaunsee and Wyandotte counties.
List of the 22 contiguous disaster areas: Anderson, Cloud, Jewell, Ness, Atchison, Coffey, Linn, Pawnee, Barton, Greenwood, Lyon, Phillips, Butler, Harvey, McPherson, Pottawatomie, Clay, Jackson, Rice, Riley, Rooks and Trego counties.
Missouri. The above Disaster declaration covers 5 counties in Missouri because they are contiguous: Bates, Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte counties.
Nebraska. Franklin and Webster counties.
Michigan. Drought disaster declared in 10 Michigan counties:
Primary DAs: Branch, Cass, Hillsdale and St. Joseph counties.
Contiguous DAs: Berrien, Calhoun, Jackson, Kalamazoo Lenawee, and Van Buren counties.
Indiana. Contiguous DAs: Elkhart, Lagrange, St. Joseph and Steuben counties.
Ohio. Fulton and Williams counties.
Nebraska. USDA has declared 22 Nebraska counties as agricultural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by the ongoing drought.
Indiana. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 38 counties in Indiana as agricultural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by the ongoing drought.
Illinois. The above declaration also extends to three counties in Illinois: Clark, Edgar and Vermilion counties.
Illinois. USDA has designated twelve counties in Illinois as agricultural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by the ongoing drought.
PDAs: Crawford and Pike counties.
CDAs: Adams, Calhoun, Greene, Lawrence, Richland,
Brown, Clark, Jasper, Morgan and Scott counties.
Wisconsin. USDA has designated 31 counties in Wisconsin as agricultural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by the ongoing drought.
Illinois. The above declaration extends to 6 contiguous areas in Illinois: Boone, Lake, Stephenson, Jo Daviess, McHenry and Winnebago counties.
Iowa. The above declaration also extends to 3 contiguous areas in Iowa: Allamakee, Clayton and Dubuque counties.
Weekly U.S. Precipitation Map for the Week Ending July 24, 2012. Source: HPRCC
Corn in Drought Map. Latest available map of drought superimposed on the corn production areas. This map depicts drought-affected areas of the U.S. corn producing farmland as of July 17, 2012. Approximately 88% of the corn grown in the U.S. is within an area-experiencing drought, based on historical U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) crop production data.
Other USDA Disaster Declarations
Colorado. USDA has designated 8 counties in Colorado as agricultural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by freezing temperatures that occurred April 7-8, 2012.
Utah. The above declaration also extends to two counties in Utah: Grand and San Juan counties.
Wisconsin. USDA has designated 34 counties in Wisconsin as agricultural disaster areas due to losses to maple syrup production caused by an unseasonably early thaw, unseasonably warm nights and excessive heat that occurred Jan. 23 – March 31, 2012.
Michigan. The above declaration extends to 4 counties in the state of Michigan.
Minnesota. The above declaration also extends to 4 counties in the state of Minnesota.
Nearly two-thirds of Continental U.S. in drought condition
More than 42 percent of the lower 48 states were in SEVERE, EXTREME or EXCEPTIONAL Drought Conditions (D2-D4) as of July 17, 2012, a rise of over 5 percent since last week.
As of July 17, 2012, all of the Continental U.S. with the exception of Maine is experiencing Abnormally Dry or Drought Conditions (D0 -D4) in full or in parts of the states, a situation which has since worsened due to lack of precipitation and a heat wave in the past two days.
More than 81 percent of the Contiguous United States was Abnormally Dry or in Drought Conditions (D0 – D4).
U.S. Drought Map for July 17, 2012, released July 19.
Comparison Maps for July 10 and July 17, 2012.
U.S. Drought Comparison Maps for July 3 and July 10, 2012.
U.S. Drought Comparison Maps for June 26 and July 3, 2012
Dryness and drought, exacerbated by above-normal temperatures, have been increasing both in extent and intensity across much of the central and northern U.S.Source: NOAA/ NWS/ NCEP/ Climate Prediction Center
‘If I had a rain prayer or a rain dance …’ —Vilsack
U.S. drought intensifies as deadly heat plagues regions from Dakotas to Ohio Valley
‘Dangerous and deadly heat has entrenched itself in the central Plains and Midwest with no prospects of relief in the near future,’ said NOAA forecasters.
U.S. Weather Hazards Map, July 19, 2012. Source: NWS
Excessive Heat Warnings are in effect for parts of 10 states and into the weekend for parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Heat Advisories have been issued for parts of 19 states: South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island, NWS reported.
U.S. Daily Highest Max Temperature Records (July 17, 2012)
Highest Max Temp Reported
BURLINGTON 2S, DES MOINES, IA. New record: 107.0°F set on 2012-07-17; old record at 98.0°F dated 2006-07-17
Drought 2012
“If I had a rain prayer or a rain dance I could do, I would do it.”
USDA has now declared as primary disaster areas a total of about 1,300 counties [many other counties are designated as contiguous disaster areas ] across 29 states, as grain prices shoot through the roof due to deadly heat and unrelenting drought.
“I get on my knees everyday and I’m saying an extra prayer right now,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters after briefing with the Disaster President Obama. “If I had a rain prayer or a rain dance I could do, I would do it.”
Among nature’s extreme dislikes is the fact that more than 40 percent of the U.S. corn is used to produce ethanol.
Weekly drought statistics to be released by U.S. Drought Monitor later today could show more than two-thirds of Continental U.S. in drought condition.
By early July 2012, more than 60% of the contiguous United States was experiencing drought conditions, nearly double the area from early January. This NOAA animation shows monthly composites of D1 to D4 categories of drought in the contiguous U.S. over the time frame January 2012 to July 2012 using data from the U.S. Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor summary map identifies general drought areas, labeling droughts by intensity, with D1 (lightest color) being the least intense and D4 (darkest color) being the most intense.
State of Emergency Declared in Wisconsin
Governor Walker has declared a state of emergency in all 72 Wisconsin counties due to drought and abnormally dry conditions extending across most of the state.
“Wisconsin families, businesses and farmers are hurting as a result of this drought,” said Gov. Walker. “The increase in wildfires due to the combined lack of rain and high temperatures is adding to the risk of major economic losses, especially in agriculture. This is a time of crisis for many people, and we will utilize whatever resources are necessary to help.”
On July 10, Walker declared a state of emergency in 42 southern and central counties.
Latest Disaster Declarations by USDA
USDA has issued Disaster Declarations due to damage and losses caused by drought and excessive heat that began in April 1, 2012, and continues in
Missouri: A total of 105 counties declared as agricultural disaster areas.
Arkansas: 5 counties
Illinois: 9 counties
Iowa: 10 counties
Kansas: 10 counties
Nebraska: 3 counties
Oklahoma: 2 counties
USDA designated ten Counties in Wyoming as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the recent drought.
All other Wyoming counties that would be eligible under 7 CFR 759.5 (a), already have been designated as primary natural disaster counties.
USDA designated 16 Counties in Utah as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the recent drought.
Arizona. The designation also extends to 2 contiguous counties in Arizona.
USDA Designates 5 Counties in Tennessee agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the recent drought.
Arkansas. The designation also extends to 2 contiguous counties in Arkansas.
Mississippi. Extends also to 2 counties in Mississippi.
USDA has designated 32 counties in Arkansas as agricultural natural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the recent drought.
Mississippi. No. of counties are contiguous disaster areas: 4
USDA has designated 7 counties in New Mexico as agricultural natural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the recent drought.
Arizona. Counties declared as contiguous disaster areas: 1
Latest Available Maps of Agricultural Disaster Areas in the U.S.
Map of U.S. counties declared as agricultural disaster areas under ‘Streamlined Disaster Designation Process,’ as of July 12, 2012
PRIMARY & CONTIGUOUS COUNTIES designated for 2012 crop disaster losses – As of 07/10/2012 – through Designation No. S3260 (Approved 07/03/2012)
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain). A massive wildfire has consumed/affected about 2,000 hectares on the volcanic island of Tenerife forcing the authorities to evacuate 1,800 inhabitants of the small town of Vilaflor, as well as the residents of another village nearby, reports said.
Another large fire burned more than 500 hectares on the neighboring island of La Palma before it was brought under control on Tuesday, officials said.
Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Global CO2 emissions rose 3 percent to 34 billion tons, said a new EU report today.
China emits 29 percent of global total (9.7 billion tons), while the U.S. is responsible for 16 percent (5.42 billion tons), the EU11 percent, India 6 percent, Russia 5 percent and Japan 4 percent, according to the report.
Australia has the world’s largest per capita emissions at 19 tons, followed by the U.S. at 17.3 tons and Saudi Arabia at 16.5 tons per year.
The report was released by EC’s Joint Research Center (JRC) and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.
DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,337 Days Left
[July 18, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,337 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…
Rainstorms spawn flooding, landslides and avalanches wreaking havoc affecting millions in China
Flooding, landslides, avalanches and torrents of mud triggered by extreme rain events in multiple regions of China have left dozens dead, scores of others injured, affecting millions of residents, with at least a million people displaced.
Original Caption: Rescuers convoy residents trapped by a rainstorm-triggered flood in the Huangpi District of Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, July 13, 2012. Many parts of the Huangpi District, a suburb of Wuhan, were inundated by flood following torrential rainstorms that have struck here for days. (Xinhua/Hao Tongqian)
The worst affected areas are
Guizhou province in the southwest (more than a million affected)
Hubei (more than 2 million affected) and Hunan provinces in central China
East China’s Anhui province
The Central Meteorological Station has forecast heavy rains for large swaths of Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces as well as Shanghai Municipality for Saturday through late Monday, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Severe frost and freeze in April, ongoing drought prompt agricultural disaster declarations across 11 states
Losses and damage caused to crops due to severe frost and freeze in April, as well as the ongoing drought across most of the U.S. have prompted USDA to declare agricultural disaster areas in dozens of U.S. counties across 11 states.
Damage and losses caused by drought that began in April 2012 and continues prompted USDA to issue disaster declaration in
Arkansas: 30 counties
Missouri: 6 counties
Georgia. USDA has designated a total of 30 counties in Georgia as both primary and contiguous natural disaster areas in two separate declaration due to frost, freeze, hail and high winds that occurred in April and May 2012.
Six counties in North Carolina (4), South Carolina (1) and Tennessee (1), are also designated as disaster areas because they are contiguous.
Iowa. USDA has designated 43 counties in Iowa as both primary and contiguous natural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by severe frosts and freezes that occurred April 6-30, 2012.
Nine counties in Illinois (4), Missouri (1), Nebraska (2) and Wisconsin (2) are also designated as disaster areas because they are contiguous.
Map of U.S. Hazards Outlook for July 20 – 26, 2012, showing persistent severe drought.
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
Japan: Extreme Rain Events. Dozens are dead or missing on Kyushu island in western Japan, after extreme rain events, which began late Wednesday, spawned severe flooding and multiple landslides.
A record 500 mm of rain fell over a 24-hour period on Aso, Kumamoto prefecture, while scores of homes in neighboring Minami-Aso were destroyed and many more damaged by landslides.
In Kyushu’s Kumamoto and neighboring Oita prefectures, hourly rainfalls of 106mm were recorded, Japan’s meteorological agency said, while warning of additional rainfall.
Up to 150,000 people in about 35,000 households were under mandatory evacuation orders.
Moscow, Russia. Freak storm pounded Moscow, flooding the the historic center of the Russian capital on Friday, said a report.
At least two people were killed after lightning struck them.
Further storms could strike throughout the weekend, meteorologist warned.
Black clouds spawned deadly lightning and massive rainstorm over Moscow. Image by twitter user @OksanaGon4arov, via RT.
Drought Conditions Expand by 5 Percent in Continental U.S.
Moderate to Exceptional Drought conditions (D1 – D4) prevail in 60.84 percent of the Contiguous United States, a rise of about 5 percent from last week.
Abnormally Dry to Exceptional Drought conditions (D0 – D4) cover 80 percent of the United States, the largest area hit by drought than at any other time since the U.S. Drought Monitor began more than 12 years ago—breaking the previous national drought record set only last week…
Current U.S. Drought Map – Released July 12, 2012.
Half of the U.S. declared agricultural disaster area due to worsening drought
Drought conditions have sparked disaster declarations in more than 1,300 counties (1,016 primary, 278 contiguous) across the country, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported.
U.S. drought has been intensified by the driest June in history and triple-digit temperatures on 10 out of 11 days recently.
As of last week, Moderate to Extreme drought conditions prevailed in 52.56 percent of the Midwest, and 68.39 percent of the South. Moderate to Exceptional drought conditions covered 73.87% of High Plains, 64.15% of the West and 35.46% of the Southeast.
The declaration covers 26 states across the country: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wyoming and Hawaii.
Map of U.S. counties declared as agricultural disaster areas.
In addition to the 1,016 primary disaster areas, 278 other counties have been designated as contiguous disaster areas (see map above).
[NOTE: There are 3,033 organized county or county-equivalent governments in the U.S. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce –Census Bureau]
U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook (July 5 to September 30, 2012)
Corn Conditions
Thirty percent of the corn in the 18 states that produce most of the U.S. crop is now in poor or very poor condition, up from 22% last week, USDA reported.
The amount of corn considered to be in excellent or good condition has dropped to 40 percent this week down from 48 percent last week.
Sixty percent or more of the crop has been rated poor to very poor in Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee.
Corn Condition – Selected States: Week Ending July 8, 2012. The 18 states planted 92% of 2011 acreage. Source: Crop Progress – Released July 9, 2012, by NASS/USDA.
DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,344 Days Left
[July 11, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,344 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…
Corn and soybean prices surge following USDA report on extent of damage to crops
Thirty percent of the corn in the 18 states that produce most of the U.S. crop is now in poor or very poor condition, up from 22% last week, USDA reported.
The amount of corn considered to be in excellent or good condition has dropped to 40 percent this week down from 48 percent last week.
Sixty percent or more of the crop has been rated poor to very poor in Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee.
Corn Condition – Selected States: Week Ending July 8, 2012. The 18 states planted 92% of 2011 acreage. Source: Crop Progress – Released July 9, 2012, by NASS/USDA.
Poor, Incomplete Kernel Set. Poor pollination of ear due to asynchronous pollen shed and silking (poor “nick”) due to severe drought and high temperatures; inadequate pollen supply due to uneven crop development, herbicides, insect feeding and silk clipping. Phosphorus shortages also interfere with pollination. Late applications of Lightning on Clearfield corn. Source: OSU-Extension. Image may be subject to copyright.
Corn futures surged 37 cents to $7.74 per bushel in afternoon trading Monday, up by more than $1 in a week.
Soybean Crop
The damage report also drove up soybean prices to a new record on Monday. Prices peaked at $16.79 per bushel before closing at $16.65, up 45 cents.
The USDA reported that 27 percent of soybeans were in poor or very poor condition in the 18 states that grow 95 percent of the crop, up 5 percent from last week.
Only 40 percent of the soybean crop was rated in good or excellent condition, down from 45 percent last week.
Soybean Condition – Selected States: Week Ending July 8, 2012. Source: Crop Progress – Released July 9, 2012, by NASS/USDA.
Chain Reaction
The poor crops in the U.S., world’s top producer of corn (maize) and soybean, will cause a chain reaction in the global food market, dictating higher prices across the board including beef, chicken, pork, eggs, milk, bread, and causing global food crisis …
DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,345 Days Left
[July 10, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,345 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…
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.
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.
DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,346 Days Left
[July 9, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,346 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…
At least 46 people have died amid extreme heat that has paralyzed more than two dozen states from the Midwest to the East Coast.
Heat-related fatalities occurred in Virgina (at least 12 deaths reported), Maryland (11), Chicago (10), Wisconsin (4), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (3) Tennessee (2), and Indiana (1), where an infant died after being left in a vehicle in triple-digit temperatures outside her home in Greenfield, about 25 miles east of Indianapolis.
Hundreds of thousands of people in West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, Maryland and Indiana are still without power 9 days after deadly storms swept through the region causing widespread destruction and ‘catastrophic damage’ to power grids.
Map of Temperature Departure from Normal
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
Krasnodar Region, Russia. The worst flooding in living memory in southern Russia’s Krasnodar Region, near the Black Sea, has left at least 153 people dead and and more than 5,000 homes destroyed or damaged, reports said.
“The flash flood inundated the cities of Gelendzhik, Krymsk and Novorossiysk as well as the four villages of Divnomorskoe, Nizhnebakanskaya, Neberdzhaevskaya and Kabardinka.”
“The streets of Krymsk are now mostly deserted. The town looks like the set of a post-apocalyptic movie,” RT reported .
About 3,000 people have been evacuated from flood-hit areas in Krasnoda, as of posting, while 30,000 people are without power in the region, and more than 80 percent of the population of Krymsk have lost their gas supply cut off.
DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,348 Days Left
[July 7, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,348 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…
As of end-June 2012, the CASF Index of Human Impact on Nature (HIoN), an index for calculating the human impact on the planetary life support systems, stood at an astoundingly high level of 285. In other words, the anthropogenic impact on the living environment has now exceeded 2.85 times the planet’s diminishing carrying capacity.
“According to HIoN projections, our cities and population centers could become almost entirely unsustainable by as early as 2015.”
States of emergency declared in S. Russian cities of Krymsk, Novorossiysk, and Gelendzhik
At least 141 people have been killed, 1,500 displaced and up to 15,000 others severely affected by extreme rain events, flooding and landslides in the Krasnodar region, southern Russia.
Krasnodar Territory, Russia. Severe flooding caused by extreme rain events has claimed at least 141 lives (death toll continues to rise as more bodies are discovered) across the South Russian Krasnodar Territory, reports said.
States of emergency have been declared in the cities of Gelendzhik, Krymsk and Novorossiysk, afetr a massive storm swept through the region dumping more than 6 months worth of rain in less than two days.
“Over a meter of water crashed over the intersection of Ostrovsky and Kirov Street in the center of Gelendzhik, ripping up the pavement and sweeping away everything in its path. According to the city administration, 5,000 homes have been flooded.” RT reported.
Flooding has left thousands of people displaced or severely affected.
“One third of Krymsk is still submerged, with the water only receding in certain areas, complicating rescue efforts. Rescuers have already retrieved over 6,000 survivors from rooftops and trees.”
Krasnodar Governor called the flooding, storms and landslides the worst disaster in at least 70 years.
The affected area is said to be very large, and damage widespread.
Parts of the Northern-Caucasus railroad have been washed out.
Many regional roads are impassible.
“It is spectacular, to be sure, and very tragic. The water came with such force that it tore up the asphalt,” said the Governor of the Krasnodar region.
“Eyewitnesses claim a 7-meter wave struck Krymsk in the middle of the night,” said RT.
“It all happened during the night. People just ran from their homes, because there was a huge wave of water, nobody warned them. Two-story houses were flooded up to the second floor. The water came on very fast. It wasn’t rain.” Anna Kovalyovskaya, whose parents are currently in the flood zone, told the Russian News Service. “I don’t know if this is official information or not, but in the city they are saying that they opened the water reservoir in the mountains above the city. That’s where the wave came from. In the city all of a sudden there was 7 meters of water. There was certainly a large storm beforehand, but the water came on so quick that in 15 minutes everything was flooded.”
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
Minnesota: Major Disaster Declared in Minnesota due to Extreme Weather Events
The Disaster President has declared a major disaster exists the State of Minnesota affected by severe storms and flooding during the period of June 14-21, 2012.
The declaration was issued for 13 Minnesota counties and three tribal nations: Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Crow Wing, Dakota, Goodhue, Kandiyohi, Lake, Meeker, Pine, Rice, Sibley and St. Louis counties, as well as the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
Butte County Commissioners have declared a drought disaster in the County amid scarce rainfall since 2011.
Inadequate precipitation since last summer has caused drought conditions, which has had an “enormous effect on the production capabilities of the agricultural industry, which in turn severely affects the entire local economy,” the Commissioners said in a statement.
South Dakota Drought Map released July 3, 2012. Source: U.S. Drought Monitor. Location of Butte County is enclosed in red.
SD Drought Conditions (July 3, 2012)
D0 – D2: 95.98%
D1 – D2: 47.25%
D2 : 3.19%
British Columbia, Canada
Toxic seepage from tailings pond at an old zinc and lead mine has forced the authorities to declare a state of emergency in the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK).
Heavy rainfall has raised the water level in the region and there is “ongoing seepage” from sections of the toxic pond, reports said.
Continued Flooding in Britain
More than 200 flood warnings and flood alerts remain in effect throughout England and Wales, with at least 13 flood warnings in Scotland.
Extreme rain events and landslides have brought disruption to the roads and railroads in parts of the UK, a report said.
Residents of Sheepy Magna village in Leicestershire have been evacuated after flooding, the report said.
Floodwaters have inundated many homes and business at various location.
An undisclosed number of people have been displaced due to widespread flooding.
DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN:1,349 Days Left
[July 6, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,349 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…
Fire Earth 
