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Posts Tagged ‘2014 drought disaster’

Parched West Depleting Underground Water

Posted by feww on July 25, 2014

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
RISING TEMPERATURES
EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT
MULTIPLE STATES OF EMERGENCY
MAIN SCENARIOS 900, 800, 555, 444, 123, 111, 101, 100, 033, 011, 08, 04, 03, 02
.

‘We thought that the picture could be pretty bad, but this was shocking’

Researchers say more than 75 percent of the water loss in the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin came from underground resources, starting late 2004.

They are now admitting that the extent of groundwater loss poses a greater threat to the water supply of the western United States than previously thought.

Underground water stores in the West have receded at an alarming rate worsening drought that has scorched multiple states from Oklahoma to the Pacific Coast.

“Monthly measurements in the change in water mass from December 2004 to November 2013 revealed the basin lost nearly 53 million acre feet (65 cubic kilometers) of freshwater. That’s almost double the volume of the nation’s largest reservoir, Nevada’s Lake Mead. More than three-quarters of the total—about 41 million acre feet (50 cubic kilometers)—was from groundwater,” according to the report.

“We don’t know exactly how much groundwater we have left, so we don’t know when we’re going to run out,” said a water resources specialist at the University of California, Irvine.

“This is a lot of water to lose. We thought that the picture could be pretty bad, but this was shocking.”

The Colorado River

The Colorado River is the only major river in the southwestern United States. Its basin supplies water to more than 40 million people in 7 states, and irrigates at least four million acres of farmland.

Most of the reduction has been recorded in the Lower Colorado River Basin.

FIRE-EARTH 2009 Forecast: Desertification of California in the Near Future Is Almost a Certainty – with the critical phase occurring by as early as 2011.

[NOTE: The above forecast and most of the links posted below have previously been filtered/censored by Google, WordPress and rest of the Internet Mafia. Editor]

California State Resources

California Data Exchange Center – Reservoirs

Conditions for 6 Largest Reservoirs: 23-Jul-2014 (Report Generated: 25-Jul-2014 4:06 AM)

Lake Shasta –

  • Current Storage: 1,644,468 AF
  • 36% of Total Capacity
  • 49% of Historical Avg. For This Date
  • (Total Capacity: 4,552,000 AF)
  • (Avg. Storage for Jul 23: 3,341,319 AF)

Lake Oroville –

  • Current Storage: 1,303,267 AF
  • 37% of Total Capacity
  • 49% of Historical Avg. For This Date
  • (Total Capacity: 3,537,577 AF)
  • (Avg. Storage for Jul 24: 2,648,645 AF)

Trinity Lake –

  • Current Storage: 913,231 AF
  • 37% of Total Capacity
  • 46% of Historical Avg. For This Date
  • (Total Capacity: 2,447,650 AF)
  • (Avg. Storage for Jul 23: 1,987,858 AF)

New Melones –

  • Current Storage: 647,861 AF
  • 27% of Total Capacity
  • 44% of Historical Avg. For This Date
  • (Total Capacity: 2,400,000 AF)
  • (Avg. Storage for Jul 23: 1,483,900 AF)

San Luis –

  • Current Storage: 498,632 AF
  • 24% of Total Capacity
  • 46% of Historical Avg. For This Date
  • (Total Capacity: 2,041,000 AF)
  • (Avg. Storage for Jul 23: 1,072,891 AF)

Don Pedro –

  • Current Storage: 926,110 AF
  • 46% of Total Capacity
  • 59% of Historical Avg. For This Date
  • (Total Capacity: 2,030,000 AF)
  • (Avg. Storage for Jul 23: 1,565,879 AF)

California Drought Disasters

 

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Drought Destroys Texas Crops

Posted by feww on April 24, 2014

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
DROUGHT
CROP DISASTERS
STATE OF EMERGENCY NEEDED!
.

Crop Disaster Declared for 249 Counties in Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA has designated 249 counties (98% of all counties) in the Lone Star State as crop disaster areas due to the worsening drought.

The designation also includes counties in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Those counties are:

  • Arkansas: Little River and Miller
  • Louisiana: Caddo and De Soto
  • New Mexico: Curry, Eddy, Otero, Roosevelt, Dona Ana, Lea, Quay and Union.
  • Oklahoma: Beaver, Cimarron, Jackson, Marshall, Beckham, Cotton, Jefferson, Roger Mills, Bryan, Ellis, Love, Texas, Choctaw, Harmon, McCurtain and Tillman.

Drought Disasters 2014

Beginning January 10, 2014 USDA has declared at least 1,377 counties across 21 states as crop disaster areas. Most of those designations are due to drought.

  • Those states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah.

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

ii. The total number of counties designated as agricultural disaster areas includes both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

iii. A number of counties may have been designated crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

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

v. The disaster designations posted above were approved by USDA on April 23, 2014.

Related Links

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Crop Disasters Declared in 12 States

Posted by feww on March 7, 2014

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
DROUGHT & DELUGE
CROP DISASTERS
.

83 Counties in 12 States Declared Crop Disaster areas due to Drought and Deluge

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared 83 counties in 12 states as crop disaster areas, in seven separate designations, due to the drought, and deluge.

The disaster designations are for the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.

1. Texas Drought Disaster Designations. USDA has designated six counties in Texas as drought disaster areas due to the worsening drought.

Those counties are Victoria, Calhoun, Goliad, Lavaca, DeWitt, Jackson and Refugio.

2. Arizona Drought Disaster Designations. USDA has designated 24 counties in Arizona and 5 bordering states as crop disaster areas due to the worsening drought.

  • Arizona: Apache, Greenlee, Navajo, Coconino, Mohave, Yavapai, Cochise, Graham, Maricopa, Gila, and La Paz counties.
  • California: San Bernardino County.
  • Colorado: Montezuma County.
  • Nevada: Clark and Lincoln counties.
  • New Mexico: Catron, Grant, McKinley, Cibola, Hidalgo and San Juan counties.
  • Utah: Kane, San Juan and Washington counties.

3. Idaho Drought Disaster Designations encompassing Nevada and Oregon

  • Idaho: Owyhee, Ada, Canyon, Elmore and Twin Falls counties.
  • Nevada: Elko and Humboldt counties.
  • Oregon: Malheur County.

4. New Mexico Drought Disaster Designations encompassing Arizona, Colorado, Utah

  • New Mexico:  Bernalillo, Cibola, Hidalgo, Sandoval, Catron, Grant, McKinley, San Juan, Valencia and Socorro, Lincoln, Luna, Santa Fe, Torrance, Los Alamos, Rio Arriba and Sierra counties.
  • Arizona: Apache, Cochise and Greenlee counties.
  • Colorado: Archuleta, La Plata and Montezuma counties.
  • Utah: San Juan County

5. Nevada Drought Disaster Designations encompassing California

  • Nevada: Esmeralda, Mineral and Nye counties.
  • California: Inyo and Mono counties.

6. Wisconsin Drought Disaster Designations encompassing Minnesota

USDA has designated five  counties  in Wisconsin and one in Minnesota as crop disaster areas due to extremely hot weather and severe drought conditions that occurred in 2013.

  • Wisconsin: St. Croix, Barron, Dunn, Pierce and Polk counties.
  • Minnesota: Washington County.

7. North Carolina Disaster Designations. USDA has designated nine counties in North Carolina as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the combined effects of excessive rains and flooding that began June 1, 2013, and continues.

Those counties are Cumberland,  Hoke, Bladen, Moore, Robeson, Scotland, Harnett, Richmond and Sampson.

Between January 10 and March 5, 2014 USDA has declared 744 counties across 16 states as crop disaster areas due to drought.

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

ii. The total number of counties designated as agricultural disaster areas includes both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

iii. A number of counties have been designated crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

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

v. The disaster designations were approved by USDA on February 26, 2014.

2014 Federal and Agriculture Disaster Declarations

Related Links

Posted in 2014 disaster diary, 2014 Disaster Forecast, 2014 global disasters, Climate Change, disaster watch, Global Disaster watch, global disasters, significant events | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

California Drops State Water Allocation to Zero

Posted by feww on February 1, 2014

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
DROUGHT DISASTER
STATE OF EMERGENCY

WATER FAMINE
.

Severe Drought Prompts Worst-Ever Water Supply Forecast for California

“Simply put, there’s not enough water in the system right now for customers to expect any water this season from the project,” said the director of California Department of Water Resources (DWR).

DWR is securing what little water remains in the state’s reservoirs in response to the worsening drought and strong likelihood of more severe water shortages in the coming months.

The agency announced Friday that they took actions to conserve the state’s dwindling resources, as a result of which, “everyone—farmers, fish, and people in our cities and towns —will get less water.”

“This historic announcement reflects the severity of California’s drought. After two previous dry years, 2014 is shaping up as the driest in state history,” said DWR.

  • On Thursday, Sierra snow survey found the snowpack’s statewide water content was only 12 percent of average for this time of year.
  • Water levels in key reservoirs now are lower than at this time in 1977, one of the two previous driest water years on record.
    • Lake Oroville in Butte County, the principal SWP reservoir, is at 36 percent of its 3.5 million acre-foot capacity (55 percent of its historical average for the date).
    • Shasta Lake north of Redding, California’s and the federal Central Valley Project’s (CVP) largest reservoir, is also at 36 percent of its 4.5 million acre-foot capacity (54 percent of average for the date).
    • San Luis Reservoir, a critical south-of-Delta reservoir for both the SWP and CVP, is just 30 percent of its 2 million acre-foot capacity (39 percent of average for the date).

calif resv conds
California Current Reservoir Conditions. Source: DWR

Zero Allocation

DWR has never before announced a zero allocation in the 54-year history of the State Water Project to all 29 public water agencies that buy from the SWP. These deliveries help supply water to 25 million Californians and roughly 750,000 acres of irrigated farmland.

The agency forecast in late December that it would be able to deliver only 5 percent of about 4 million acre-feet of State Water Project water requested by the 29 public water agencies that purchase water from the project. They are located in Northern California, the Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, Central Coast, and Southern California.

The 5 percent projected allocation has now reduced to zero.

calif avg precip
Statewide Average Precipitation – by water year. Source DWR.

precip ranking calif
Precipitation Rankings by Climate Region: January – December 2013. Source: DWR

California is currently experiencing its worst drought on record. In 2013 California experienced its driest year since records began 120 years ago.

  • Many California reservoirs are at their lowest levels in years.
  • The snow cover is less than 20 percent of the normal at this time of year.
  • Lake Shasta, the state’s largest reservoir is holding just over a third of its full capacity,  down from the normal of more than a half at this time of year, according to officials.

‘Extreme’ and ‘Exceptional Drought’ levels are plaguing California, threatening at least 17 communities with water famine.

Gov. Brown Declared Drought State of Emergency earlier this month amid worst dry conditions in 119 years

Brown had earlier described the drought as being “really serious,” adding that 2014 could be California’s third consecutive dry year. “In many ways it’s a mega-drought.”

calif drought 28jan2014
California Drought Map. Source: U.S. Drought Monitor

California Drought Conditions

“Drought and relatively mild temperatures continue to prevail across the state. In the northwestern part of California, a 1-category degradation from severe to extreme drought (D2 to D3) was made across Humboldt and Trinity Counties. The Central Sierra Snow Lab near the Donner Summit reports 8 inches of snow on the ground, the lowest for this time in January since at least 1946. In the general vicinity of Monterey to Bakersfield, conditions warranted a 1-category downgrade, from extreme to exceptional drought (D3 to D4). A few of the impacts within the D4 area include fallowing of land, wells running dry, municipalities considering drilling deeper wells, and little to no rangeland grasses for cattle to graze on, prompting significant livestock sell off.” —US Drought Monitor

Drought Comparison Table

drought comparison table - Calif
California Drought Comparison Table (Percent Area). Source: U.S. Drought Monitor

Related Links

FIRE-EARTH 2009 Forecast: Desertification of California in the Near Future Is Almost a Certainty

[NOTE: Most of the links posted below have previously been filtered by Google, WordPress and others. Editor ]

Posted in 2014 Disaster Forecast, 2014 global disasters, Climate Change, Global Disaster watch, global disasters, Significant Event Imagery, significant events | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

California Drought Intensifies

Posted by feww on January 30, 2014

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
DROUGHT DISASTER
STATE OF EMERGENCY

.

Worsening Drought in California Prompts Significant Livestock Sell Off 

California is currently experiencing its worst drought on record. In 2013 California experienced its driest year since records began 120 years ago.

  • Many California reservoirs are at their lowest levels in years.
  • The snow cover is less than 20 percent of the normal at this time of year.
  • Lake Shasta, the state’s largest reservoir is holding just over a third of its full capacity,  down from the normal of more than a half at this time of year, according to officials.

‘Extreme’ and ‘Exceptional Drought’ levels are plaguing California, threatening at least 17 communities with water famine.

Gov. Brown Declared Drought State of Emergency earlier this month amid worst dry conditions in 119 years

Brown had earlier described the drought as being “really serious,” adding that 2014 could be California’s third consecutive dry year. “In many ways it’s a mega-drought.”

calif drought 28jan2014
California Drought Map. Source: U.S. Drought Monitor

California Drought Conditions

“Drought and relatively mild temperatures continue to prevail across the state. In the northwestern part of California, a 1-category degradation from severe to extreme drought (D2 to D3) was made across Humboldt and Trinity Counties. The Central Sierra Snow Lab near the Donner Summit reports 8 inches of snow on the ground, the lowest for this time in January since at least 1946. In the general vicinity of Monterey to Bakersfield, conditions warranted a 1-category downgrade, from extreme to exceptional drought (D3 to D4). A few of the impacts within the D4 area include fallowing of land, wells running dry, municipalities considering drilling deeper wells, and little to no rangeland grasses for cattle to graze on, prompting significant livestock sell off.” —US Drought Monitor

Drought Comparison Table

drought comparison table - Calif
California Drought Comparison Table (Percent Area). Source: U.S. Drought Monitor

Summary of Drought Impact (Weekly)

  • The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has urged its customers to voluntarily reduce their water use by 10 percent
  • At least 17 California water systems with 60 to 120 days’ worth of water left
  • The Pajarito Mountain Ski Area near Los Alamos, New Mexico closed due to lack of snow
  • Gov. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma urged all citizens to conserve water
  • Feds could seize San Luis Reservoir water belonging to San Joaquin Valley farmers in California affecting Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare counties
  • Cachuma Lake, a crystalline mountain resource, is vanishing
  • Wheat not fully emerged in Hardeman County, Texas
  • Farmers in Dawson County, Texas were not hopeful about the upcoming growing season
  • Dry windy weather in much of Texas has stressed winter forages
  • The Marin Municipal Water District in California urged its customers to begin voluntarily trimming their water use by 25 percent
  • Zone 7 Water Agency in Alameda County, California urged 20 percent water conservation
  • The Alameda County Water District in California urged customers to voluntarily cut their water use by 20 percent
  • The Santa Clara Valley Water District planned to vote on whether to adopt additional water conservation measures
  • Los Angeles, California, dormant vegetation leading to brush fires
  • California almonds slightly smaller in 2013
  • Voluntary water restrictions urged in Elk Grove, California

[Source: US Drought Monitor]

Related Links

FIRE-EARTH 2009 Forecast: Desertification of California in the Near Future Is Almost a Certainty

[NOTE: Most of the links posted below have previously been filtered by Google, WordPress and others. Editor ]

Posted in 2014 disaster calendar, 2014 disaster diary, 2014 global disasters, Climate Change, Global Disaster watch, global disasters, Significant Event Imagery, significant events | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Multiple Crop Disasters Declared for Michigan

Posted by feww on January 25, 2014

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
MULTIPLE CROP DISASTERS
.

Crop Disasters Hit 89 Counties Across Three States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 86 counties in Michigan, two counties in Wisconsin and one in Ohio as agricultural disaster areas in three different designations due to multiple disasters.

Designation #1

USDA has designated 56 counties in Michigan as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rain with cooler than normal temperatures that began April 1, 2013, and continues.

Alcona, Chippewa, Gratiot, Mackinac, Arenac, Clare, Houghton, Midland, Baraga, Crawford, Huron, Monroe, Bay, Emmet, Iosco, Muskegon, Charlevoix, Gladwin, Luce, Newaygo, Cheboygan, Gogebic, Ogemaw, Ontonagon, Oscoda, Presque Isle, Roscommon, Alger, Isabella, Marquette, Oceana, Alpena, Kalkaska, Mason, Osceola, Antrim, Kent, Mecosta, Otsego, Clinton, Keweenaw, Missaukee, Ottawa, Ionia, Lake, Montcalm, Saginaw, Iron, Lenawee, Montmorency, Sanilac, Schoolcraft, Shiawassee, Tuscola, Washtenaw and  Wayne counties.

The designation includes also the following areas in neighboring states:

  • Ohio: Lucas County.
  • Wisconsin: Iron and Vilas counties.

Designation #2

USDA has also designated 5 counties in Michigan as crop disaster areas  due to damages and losses caused by drought with cooler than normal temperatures that occurred August 1 – September 28, 2013.

The disaster areas are:

Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Manistee, Wexford and Benzie counties.

Designation #3

USDA has further designated 25 counties in Michigan as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the combined effects of excessive rain that occurred April 1 – July 29, 2013, and returning October 15, 2013, and continuing. The designation also includes drought that occurred July 30 – October 15, 2013, and cooler than normal temperatures which spanned the entire disaster period. The counties are:

Alpena, Grand Traverse, Mecosta, Montmorency, Antrim, Kalkaska, Missaukee, Osceola, Otsego, Wexford, Alcona, Cheboygan, Isabella, Manistee, Benzie, Clare, Lake, Montcalm, Charlevoix, Crawford, Leelanau, Newaygo, Oscoda, Presque Isle and Roscommon.

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

2. Total number of counties designated as agricultural disaster areas includes both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

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

4. A number of counties have been designated crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

5. The disaster designations were approved by USDA on January 22 and released on January 24, 2013.

2014 Agriculture Disaster Declarations

Related Links

Posted in 2014 disaster calendar, 2014 disaster diary, 2014 global disasters, Climate Change, Global Disaster watch, global disasters, global disasters 2013, significant events | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »