Wildfires Destroy Oklahoma Town

Raging wildfires burning small Oklahoman towns

Extreme drought and 19 days of triple-digit temperatures have sparked at least 15 large wildfires throughout Oklahoma, devastating communities, destroying scores of homes, shutting down highways and forcing thousands to evacuate.

• Wildfires have left the small town of Luther (pop: ~ 600) smoldering.
• The blazes have destroyed at least 130 structures in Creek County, west of Tulsa.
• Authorities ordered evacuations in the towns of Mannford (pop: ~3,000) and Glencoe (pop: ~ 600).
• Thousands of others are voluntarily abandoning their homes in Creek County as out-of-control wildfires continue spreading.
• The temperature was expected to soar to 113 degrees (45°C), said the National Weather Service.
• Oklahoma City tied its all-time record temperature of 113 degrees set in 1936 on Friday.
• The worsening drought and soaring heat are responsible for numerous devastating wildfires  in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Utah, Wyoming and elsewhere in the past couple of months.

Oklahoma Drought Map, July 31, 2012. Source: U.S. Drought Monitor

“Heartbreaking.”

Gov. Fallin, who toured the smoldering town of Luther on Saturday, called the devastation “heartbreaking.”

“A lot of people were at work and didn’t realize how quickly the fire was moving,” she told Reuters. “It’s emotional. For the children, it’s very emotional to lose their possessions.”

State of Emergency Declared

Gov. Fallin declared a state of emergency on Monday for all of Oklahoma’s 77 counties due to the threats caused by extreme heat and dry conditions that continue to affect the entire state.

Contiguous United States Precipitation- Week Ending August 3, 2012. Source: HPRCC

About 80 percent of Continental United States was Abnormally Dry or in Drought Condition (D0 – D4) during the week ending August 3, 2012.

Related Posts – Latest

• Extreme and Exceptional Drought Spread Across Midwest, South Posted August 2, 2012

• U.S. Disaster Areas Expand as Drought Deepens Posted August 1, 2012
• Half U.S. Corn in Very Poor or Poor Condition Posted July 30, 2012
• Severe to Exceptional Drought Grows in U.S. Posted July 26, 2012
• U.S. Drought Continues to Spread, Intensify Posted July 19, 2012
• Another Heat Wave Grips America’s Heartland Posted July 18, 2012
• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S.  Posted July 17, 2012
• Drought and deluge 

Drought Disaster – Recent

• U.S. Disaster Areas Expand as Drought Deepens  Posted August 1, 2012
• USDA Disaster List Grows to 1,369 Counties Across 31 States Posted  July 26, 2012
• Wildfires Consume 120,000 Acres in Nebraska Posted  July 25, 2012
• Deadly Drought Worsens Corn, Soybean, Pasture and Range Conditions Posted July 24, 2012
• Watching Events Unfold, Frame by Frame, Exactly as Forecast Posted July 20, 2012
• Deadly Heat Continues to Devour U.S. Crops Posted July 19, 2012

• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S. Posted July 17, 2012
• Largest Ever U.S. Disaster Continues Unfolding July 14, 2012
• Drought 2012 Posted on January 8, 2012

Extreme and Exceptional Drought Spread Across Midwest, South

U.S. drought levels D3 and D4 increase to 22.27 percent

Nearly a quarter of the United States is experiencing Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4) drought levels, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Nearly two-thirds of the continental U.S. remains in drought (D1 – D4).  The areas in Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4) drought levels have increased by about 2 percent since last week.

U.S. Drought Map as of July 31, 2012.  [NOTE: Some readers may find the map incomplete/inaccurate. Moderator]

Current U.S. Drought Monitor

Drought Comparison Maps for July 24 – 31, 2012.

Related Posts – Latest

• U.S. Disaster Areas Expand as Drought Deepens Posted August 1, 2012
• Half U.S. Corn in Very Poor or Poor Condition Posted July 30, 2012
• Severe to Exceptional Drought Grows in U.S. Posted July 26, 2012
• U.S. Drought Continues to Spread, Intensify Posted July 19, 2012
• Another Heat Wave Grips America’s Heartland Posted July 18, 2012
• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S.  Posted July 17, 2012
• Drought and deluge 

Drought Disaster – Recent

• U.S. Disaster Areas Expand as Drought Deepens  Posted August 1, 2012
• USDA Disaster List Grows to 1,369 Counties Across 31 States Posted  July 26, 2012
• Wildfires Consume 120,000 Acres in Nebraska Posted  July 25, 2012
• Deadly Drought Worsens Corn, Soybean, Pasture and Range Conditions Posted July 24, 2012
• Watching Events Unfold, Frame by Frame, Exactly as Forecast Posted July 20, 2012
• Deadly Heat Continues to Devour U.S. Crops Posted July 19, 2012

• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S. Posted July 17, 2012
• Largest Ever U.S. Disaster Continues Unfolding July 14, 2012
• Drought 2012 Posted on January 8, 2012

U.S. Disaster Areas Expand as Drought Deepens

Disasters plague 1,584 counties across 32 states

USDA has designated an additional 218 counties across 12 states as primary natural disaster areas due to the deadly drought.

During the 2012 crop year, USDA has designated 1,584 unduplicated counties across 32 states as disaster areas—1,452 due to drought. Scores of additional bordering counties have also been designated as disaster areas because they are contiguous.

List of the states with the number of additional counties designated as primary disaster areas

• Arkansas (2 counties)
  
• Georgia  (6)
  
• Illinois  (66 counties; 98 of the state’s 102 counties have now been declared  disaster areas)
  
• Indiana  (2)
• Iowa  (42 counties; Iowa and Illinois produce about a third of all U.S. corn and soybean crops).
• Kansas (4)
• Mississippi  (1)
• Nebraska  (47 counties)
• Oklahoma (12)
  
• South Dakota (25)
  
• Tennessee  (3)
• Wyoming  (8)

‘Farming in Hell’

U.S. Max Temp Map.  for August 1, 2012. Source: NWS

U.S. Precipitation Map  (Weekly)

U.S. Precipitation Map for July 22 – 28, 2012. Source: USDA

Related Posts – Latest

• Half U.S. Corn in Very Poor or Poor Condition Posted July 30, 2012
• Severe to Exceptional Drought Grows in U.S. Posted July 26, 2012

• U.S. Drought Continues to Spread, Intensify Posted July 19, 2012
• Another Heat Wave Grips America’s Heartland Posted July 18, 2012
• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S.  Posted July 17, 2012
• Drought and deluge 

Drought Disaster – Recent

• USDA Disaster List Grows to 1,369 Counties Across 31 States Posted  July 26, 2012

• Wildfires Consume 120,000 Acres in Nebraska Posted  July 25, 2012
• Deadly Drought Worsens Corn, Soybean, Pasture and Range Conditions Posted July 24, 2012
• Watching Events Unfold, Frame by Frame, Exactly as Forecast Posted July 20, 2012
• Deadly Heat Continues to Devour U.S. Crops Posted July 19, 2012

• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S. Posted July 17, 2012
• Largest Ever U.S. Disaster Continues Unfolding July 14, 2012
• Drought 2012 Posted on January 8, 2012

Severe to Exceptional Drought Grows in U.S.

Nearly half of U.S. in ‘Severe’ to ‘Exceptional’ drought

‘Severe’ to ‘Exceptional’ drought conditions (D2 – D4) have increased to 45.57 percent in the lower 48 states, a rise of more than 3 percent since last week.

• About two-thirds (63.86%) of the United States remains in moderate drought or worse.
• 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. [NOTE: There are 3,143 counties and county-equivalents in the U.S.]
• Nearly a third of the Midwest is in extreme drought, about three time as much as previous week.
• Central U.S. is the worst hit region with continued widespread intensification of drought.
• ‘Extreme’ and ‘Exceptional’ drought levels (D3 – D4) prevail in 20.57 percent of the Contiguous 48, compared with 13.53 percent  a week earlier.
• The areas experiencing ‘Exceptional’ drought level (d4) has more than doubled to 2.38 percent of the lower 48 since July 17 report.
• Hawaii and Alaska have not reported any change in the drought conditions.

Drought Map for Continental U.S., July 24, 2012. (Released July 26, 2012)

“We’ve seen tremendous intensification of drought through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas, Kansas and Nebraska, and into part of Wyoming and South Dakota in the last week,” said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist and U.S. Drought Monitor author. “The amount of D3 developing  in the country has increased  quite a bit for each of the last several weeks.”

The current U.S. Drought Monitor shows that every state in the country had at least a small area shown as abnormally dry or worse. “It’s such a broad footprint,” Fuchs said.

“This drought is two-pronged,” he said. “Not only the dryness but the heat is playing a big and important role. Even areas that have picked up rain are still suffering because of the heat.”

Drought Comparison Maps for Continental U.S.,  July 17 – 24, 2012. (Released July 26, 2012)

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

 Related Posts – Latest

• U.S. Drought Continues to Spread, Intensify Posted July 19, 2012
• Another Heat Wave Grips America’s Heartland Posted July 18, 2012
• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S.  Posted July 17, 2012
• Drought and deluge 

Drought Disaster – Recent

• USDA Disaster List Grows to 1,369 Counties Across 31 States Posted  July 26, 2012

• Wildfires Consume 120,000 Acres in Nebraska Posted  July 25, 2012
• Deadly Drought Worsens Corn, Soybean, Pasture and Range Conditions Posted July 24, 2012
• Watching Events Unfold, Frame by Frame, Exactly as Forecast Posted July 20, 2012
• Deadly Heat Continues to Devour U.S. Crops Posted July 19, 2012

• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S. Posted July 17, 2012
• Largest Ever U.S. Disaster Continues Unfolding July 14, 2012
• Drought 2012 Posted on January 8, 2012

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

• Beijing, China. Death toll from Saturday’s extreme rain event in Beijing has climbed to at least 77, the Beijing municipal government said Thursday.

USDA Disaster List Grows to 1,369 Counties Across 31 States

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.

Related Links

• Wildfires Consume 120,000 Acres in Nebraska Posted  July 25, 2012
• Deadly Drought Worsens Corn, Soybean, Pasture and Range Conditions Posted July 24, 2012
• Watching Events Unfold, Frame by Frame, Exactly as Forecast Posted July 20, 2012
• Deadly Heat Continues to Devour U.S. Crops Posted July 19, 2012

• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S. Posted July 17, 2012
• Largest Ever U.S. Disaster Continues Unfolding July 14, 2012
• Drought 2012 Posted on January 8, 2012
• Drought and deluge