USDA Crop Disaster Designations (May – July 2018)

C.G. 082602

Drought causes crop disasters in hundreds of counties across multiple states

[INCOMPLETE LIST] USDA Crop Disaster Designations May 17 – July 24, 2018

Release No. 0105.18
USDA has designated five counties in New Mexico as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.
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Release No. 0103.18
March 2018 Freeze: For the freeze occurring March 8, through March 23, 2018, USDA has designated 36 counties in Georgia, and five counties in Florida as crop disaster areas.
April 2018 Freeze: For the freeze occurring on April 17, 2018, USDA has designated 12 counties in Georgia, two counties in North Carolina, and one county in Tennessee as crop disaster areas.
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Release No. 0101.18
Hurricane Irma’s Impact to Crop Year 2017: For losses and damaged caused by Hurricane Irma for the 2017 crop year, USDA has designated 16 counties in Florida as crop disaster areas.
Hurricane Irma’s Impact to Crop Year 2018: For losses and damage caused by Hurricane Irma for the 2018 crop year, USDA has designated one county in Florida as disaster area.
+++++

Release No. 0098.18
USDA has designated 11 counties in Utah as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.
Also included in the disaster declaration are the following contiguous counties:
Colorado: Three counties.
Nevada: Two counties.
+++++

Release No. 0097.18
USDA has designated 15 counties in Texas as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.
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Release No. 0096.18
USDA has designated six counties in Colorado, and two counties in Utah, as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.
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Release No. 0095.18
USDA has designated 17 counties in Texas, and one county in New Mexico, as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.
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Release No. 0088.18
USDA has designated 11 counties in Utah as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.
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Release No. 0094.18
USDA has designated five counties in Colorado as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.
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Release No. 0087.18
USDA has designated three counties in Nevada as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.
Also included in the disaster declaration are the following contiguous counties:
Arizona: One county.
California: Two counties.
+++++

Release No. 0086.18
USDA has designated eight counties in Colorado as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.
+++++

Release No. 0084.18
USDA has designated 32 counties in North Dakota as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by drought that began June 20, 2017, and continues.
Also included in the disaster declaration are the following contiguous counties:
Montana: Five counties.
South Dakota: Four counties.
+++++

Release No. 0083.18
USDA has designated 18 counties in Colorado as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.
Three contiguous counties in New Mexico were also included in the disaster declaration.
+++++

One in two Australians have a mental or chronic disease

Submitted by a reader in Sydney, Australia

‘Millions of Australians suffering from combined physical, mental ill health, new report finds’

• 4 million Australians have a mental health condition
• One in two Australians have a chronic disease
• Mental health conditions are the leading cause of illness and disability
• More than 2.4m Australians have a mental and physical health condition

Read more…

[The stats are even more frightening here in the U.S.]

Image of the Day from NSW, Australia

Harry Taylor, 6, plays with the bones of dead livestock on his family farm which has become a dust bowl due to the extreme drought. In the Central Western region of New South Wales, Australia, farmers continue to battle a crippling drought which many locals are calling the worst since 1902. [Brook Mitchell/Getty Images] Image may be subject to copyright. http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/nsw-drought/10084956

 

100% drought declared across state of New South Wales: Govt

NSW produces more than a quarter of Australia’s agricultural output.

The worst drought in living memory is sweeping parts of eastern Australia, leaving farmers struggling to cope and many asking questions about the future (!)

“Australia’s drought — the cancer eating away at farms”

“My great-grandfather settled on this land in 1901, and he never had to remove cattle from the paddocks over there,” says May McKeown, 79, pointing to the west. “But we have had to remove them all and bring them closer to the homestead so we can more easily feed them.”

Farmer Ash Whitney stands in the middle of a dried-up dam in a drought-effected paddock on his property located west of the town of Gunnedah in New South Wales, Australia, June 3, 2018. “I have been here all my life, and this drought is feeling like it will be around a while,” said Whitney. Sourced from https://abcnews.go.com/ Image may be subject to copyright.

FIRE-EARTH Presentation: Pump Up the Volume!!

The impact of climate change on nuclear and hydroelectric power production!

• Prepared by FIRE-EARTH Science and affiliated scientists..

Details available via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

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Crop Disasters Declared in 22 States and the Virgin Islands –USDA

JCA 2081W

USDA designates hundreds of counties and parishes across the US as crop disaster areas

Major losses and damages caused by multiple disasters including drought and deluge, frost and freeze, excessive snow and extreme rainfall, as well as other extreme climate and weather events, and two Hurricanes Maria and Irma have prompted USDA to declare crop disasters in at least 287 counties, parishes and territories across 22 states and the Virgin Islands.

Those states are Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, and the Virgin Islands.

The Disaster Designations:

Release No. 0132.17  [Oct. 17, 2017]
USDA has designated three territories in the Virgin Islands as crop disaster areas due to losses caused by multiple disasters that occurred during Hurricanes Irma and Maria that occurred during the 2017 crop year.

• Designation Number 1 – St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands have been designated as crop disaster areas due to losses caused by Hurricane Irma that occurred during Sept. 6, 2017 through Sept. 7, 2017.
• Designation Number 2 – St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands have been designated as crop disaster areas due to losses caused by Hurricane Maria that occurred during Sept. 19, 2017.

Release No. 0125.17
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated two counties in Delaware and four counties in Maryland as crop disasters areas due to losses caused by excessive rainfall that occurred from July 28, 2017, through Sept. 21, 2017.

Release No. 0131.17
USDA has designated 24 counties in South Carolina, 4 counties in Georgia, and 5 counties in North Carolina as crop disasters areas due to losses and damages caused by frost and freeze that occurred from March 4, 2017 through March 17, 2017.

Release No. 0124.17
USDA has designated 7 counties in California as crop disasters areas due to losses and damages caused by excessive rain that occurred from Oct. 1, 2016 through May 1, 2017.

Release No. 0126.17
USDA has designated 44 counties in Florida as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by Hurricane Irma that occurred from Sept. 9, 2017 through Sept. 12, 2017.

Release No. 0127.17
USDA has designated 4 counties in Idaho, 2 in Montana, and 2 in Washington as crop disaster areas area due to losses caused by a recent drought.

Release No. 0130.17
USDA has designated 7 counties in Oregon as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by excessive snow, freeze, frost, excessive rain and flooding that occurred from Dec. 8, 2016 through Feb. 25, 2017.

Release No. 0129.17
USDA has designated 4 counties in Montana as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.

Release No. 0128.17 [Oct. 17, 2017]
USDA has designated 12 counties in Iowa, and 2 in Missouri as crop disaster areas due to a recent drought.

Release No. 0114.17 [Oct. 3, 2017]
USDA has designated five counties in North Dakota as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.

Release No. 0113.17
USDA has designated 7 counties in Montana as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.

Release No. 0112.17
USDA has designated 59 counties in Mississippi, 4 counties in Alabama and 10 parishes in Louisiana as primary natural disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by extreme rainfall, flooding and flash flooding that occurred from April 1, 2017, and continues.

Release No. 0115.17
USDA has designated 7 counties in Wisconsin as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by heavy rains that occurred from June 14, 2017, through July 14, 2017.

Release No. 0111.17  [Oct. 3, 2017]
USDA has designated 11 counties in Iowa and 2 counties in Missouri as crop disaster areas due to a recent drought.

Release No. 0109.17 [Sept. 18, 2017]
USDA has designated 10 counties in South Dakota and 2 counties in Nebraska as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.

Release No. 0108.17
USDA has designated multiple counties in Ohio as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by excessive rain and flooding during the 2017 crop year.

• Designation Number 1: USDA has designated 8 counties in Ohio as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by excessive rain and flooding that occurred from July 7, 2017, through July 14, 2017.
• Designation Number 2: USDA has designated 6 counties in Ohio, and 2 counties in Indiana as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by excessive rain and flooding that occurred from May 25, 2017, through July 15, 2017.

Release No. 0107.17  [Sept. 18, 2017]
USDA has designated 18 counties in Montana as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.

 

Drought Devastating Mongolia

Severe drought plagues more than 30 percent of Mongolia

Mongolia has suspended grain exports as a severe drought plagues more than 30 percent of its agricultural land, with temperatures reaching record levels, according to authorities.

The drought follows a severe winter, with a dzud affecting much of the country.

“With nearly a third of the population made up of herders, the autumn harvest is crucial to the Mongolian economy,” said a report.

Drought impacts Inner Mongolia

Severe drought has also impacted Inner Mongolia, damaging crop yields and causing economic losses.

“According to the regional civil affairs department, Inner Mongolia has seen less rainfall and higher temperatures than normal this year. Since the beginning of July, more than half of the region has experienced temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius. In the central and western areas, temperatures at 17 monitored sites have exceeded 35 degrees Celsius,” a report said.

As of July 14, more than four million people in 10 cities were affected by the drought, with at least two million requiring disaster relief. “About 2.7 million hectares of crops and 34.3 million hectares of grassland have been affected, leading to a direct economic loss of 5 billion yuan (737 million U.S. dollars).”

Deadly Wildfires Continue to Ravage Southern Europe

• All Groups

Southern Europe Fire Danger Map

Source: Copernicus – Emergency Management Service
From: 20 Jul 2017 To: 27 Jul 2017

• Details of regional forecast issued by FIRE-EARTH Science Team are available via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

USDA Crop Disaster Designations

CG  2707R

USDA Declares Crop Disasters in 318 Counties and Parishes across 14 States

Release No. 0079.17
July 19, 2017 — USDA has designated 13 counties in South Dakota as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.

Release No. 0078.17
USDA has designated 18 counties in North Dakota and two counties in South Dakota as primary natural disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.

Release No. 0077.17
USDA has designated 15 counties in Montana as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.

Release No. 0073.17
July 12, 2017 — USDA has designated 24 counties in North Dakota, and three counties each in Montana and South Dakota as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.

Release No. 0072.17
July 12, 2017 — USDA has designated eight counties in Montana, four counties in North Dakota, and one county in South Dakota as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.

Release No. 0071.17
July 12, 2017 — USDA has designated 52 counties in Missouri, five in Arkansas, six in Illinois, and two counties each in Kansas and Tennessee as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by excessive rainfall and flooding that occurred from April 24, 2017, through May 11, 2017.

Release No. 0076.17
July 12, 2017 — USDA has designated nine counties in South Dakota and three counties in North Dakota as primary natural disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.

Release No. 0075.17
USDA has designated 22 counties in Montana and two counties in North Dakota as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.

Release No. 0067.17
USDA has designated 23 counties in Wisconsin and two counties in Minnesota as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by winterkill including freeze that occurred from Jan. 1, 2017, through May 26, 2017.

Release No. 0065.17
USDA has designated 14 counties in South Dakota, and three counties in North Dakota as primary natural disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.

Release No. 0064.17
USDA has designated 26 counties in North Dakota, five counties in Montana and three counties in South Dakota as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.

Release No. 0063.17
(USDA has designated 13 counties in Montana and three counties in North Dakota as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.

Release No. 0062.17
USDA has designated 14 counties in Georgia and three counties in South Carolina as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by freeze that occurred from March 15, 2017, through March 17, 2017.

Release No. 0061.17
USDA has designated six counties in Tennessee and two counties in Alabama as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by excessive rain, high winds and hail storms that occurred on April 22, 2017.

Release No. 0060.17
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated seven parishes in Louisiana as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by heavy and excessive rain that occurred from April 4, 2017, through May 23, 2017.

Source: USDA

 

Major Drought Devastates Crops in Southern Europe

• All Groups

Lingering drought destroying crops in Italy, Spain and Portugal

Six Spanish provinces issue red alert as temperatures hover between 45ºC and 47ºC. A further 21 provinces are on yellow alert.

[Prepared by FIRE-EARTH Teams.]

• Report available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

Disaster Declared amid Deadly Wildfires in South Africa

Thousands flee their homes as Knysna declared a disaster area

Wildfires in the South Africa’s Western Cape town of Knysna are causing large-scale destruction, leaving about 10,000 about thousands of people displaced.

Uncontrolled wildfires have destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes, dozens of schools and scores of businesses, reports say.

At least ten people have been killed by the raging blazes that have also consumed several hectares of veld (grassland). said a report.

Winds of up to 110km/h were reportedly fanning the blazes.

Western Cape Premier Helen Zille declared the province a disaster area last month, as “the most crippling drought in century” plagued the province.

Dam levels in the Cape area fell to an alarmingly low of 19%, with only 11.6% usable.

In 2015, South Africa experienced its driest year on record, according to the national weather service.

In 2016, Authorities declared drought disaster in five South African provinces—Limpopo, North West, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga—as worst drought on record continued to plague much of the country.

Drought decimated the nation’s agricultural output, killing livestock, pushing up food prices and increasing unemployment.

 

 

USDA Crop Disaster Designations

Submitted by C.K.

Crop Disasters Declared for 254 Counties Across 11 US States

The disaster areas include multiple counties in Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, Tennessee and Utah.

Release No. 0055.17
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated five counties in Georgia as a crop disaster area due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought. [Total: 5 counties ]

Release No. 0054.17
USDA has designated 26 counties in Florida as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought.  [Total: 23 counties ]

Release No. 0053.17
USDA has designated 46 counties in Arkansas, 8 in Missouri, and 4 in Tennessee as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by excessive rain, flash flooding, flooding, hail, high winds and lightning that occurred from April 1, 2017, and continues. [Total: 58 counties ]

Release No. 0052.17
USDA has designated 27 counties in Georgia and six  counties in Florida as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by freeze that occurred from March 15, 2017, through March 18, 2017. [Total: 23 counties ]

Release No. 0051.17
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 21 counties in Florida and one in Georgia as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought. [Total: 22 counties ]

Release No. 0050.17
USDA has designated various counties in Delaware and Maryland as crop disaster areas due to losses caused by multiple disasters that occurred during the 2016 crop year. [Total: 18 counties ]

Designation Number 1: USDA has three counties in Delaware and six counties in Maryland as crop disaster areas due to losses caused by drought that occurred from June 1, 2016, through Sept. 29, 2016.

Designation Number 2: USDA has designated three counties in Delaware and six counties in Maryland as crop disaster areas due to losses caused by excessive rain that occurred from Sept. 29, 2016, through Oct. 10, 2016.

Release No. 0049.17
USDA has designated 22 counties in Florida as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by a recent drought. [Total: 22 counties ]

Release No. 0048.17
USDA has designated 32 counties in Georgia, and six counties in Florida as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by freeze that occurred from March 15, 2017, through March 18, 2017. [Total: 38 counties ]

Release No. 0044.17
USDA has designated 28 counties in California as crop disaster areas due to losses caused by severe weather including excessive rain, high winds, cold temperatures and hail that occurred from March 1, 2016, through May 7, 2016. [Total: 28 counties ]

Release No. 0046.17
USDA has designated 15 counties in Idaho, and one each in Nevada and Utah as crop disaster areas due to losses caused by a blizzard, excessive snow, excessive rain, freeze, flooding, flash flooding and high winds that occurred from Dec. 22, 2016, and continues. [Total: 17 counties ]

State of Emergency Declared in Florida amid Intense Wildfires

107 wildfires burning over 23,000 acres across Florida

Florida governor has declared a state of emergency following intense wildfires that have burned thousands of acres across the Sunshine State.

• Wildfires are currently burning in Polk, Hernando, Broward, Nassau, Pasco, Mario, Glades and Collier counties.
• Some 107 wildfires burning 23,000 acres across the state, as of April 11, the Florida Forest Service reported.
• Wildfires have consumed 68,000 acres across the state, since February, an amount is higher than the average acreage charred over the past five years.
• Wildfires have consumed 250 percent more acreage January – March than during the same period last year.

Moderate to severe drought conditions are expanding across Central and South Florida, while abnormally dry conditions exist across NE Florida, reported the U.S. Drought Monitor, with the dry conditions forecast to worsen over the coming weeks.

Drought-Stricken Farmers Eating Termites in Kenya

‘Humanitarian Catastrophe’ in Horn of Africa:

Debilitating drought destroys crop, sending food prices skyrocketing, and forcing millions of people and their dying animal to migrate.  

The Government of Kenya declared a national drought emergency on 10 February. The latest round of debilitating drought has affected 23 of 47 counties across the country. “The number of food insecure people more than doubled – from 1.3 million to 2.7 million. Some 357,285 children and pregnant and lactating mothers are acutely malnourished,” said UN OCHA.

Maize production in the coastal areas has decreased by 99 per cent compared to the long term average.

The rainfall deficit in the Horn of Africa has been particularly acute across Somalia, multiple parts of  Ethiopia,  Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan.

“According to the Nairobi-based International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe), a growing number of farmers in eastern and western Kenya are now harvesting and eating insects like termites to cope with prolonged drought.”

Situation Overview [UN OCHA]

• The 2016 Deyr or short rains season (October to December) brought severely low levels of rainfall to the region.
• The situation is worse than in 2010-11 in many ways.
• The drought has had a major impact on water resources, including on river flow levels and the availability of water for human and livestock consumption.
• Widespread crop failures have affected farming and agro-pastoral communities in most of Somalia, southwestern Ethiopia and northeastern Kenya, with food prices skyrocketing.
• Livestock are becoming increasingly weak, contracting diseases and dying at alarming rates, with catastrophic consequences for pastoral communities.
• Terms of trade are declining sharply for pastoralists, contributing to rising food insecurity and malnutrition.
• Household production of milk and meat is low and the price of milk and other dairy products has skyrocketed.
• 12.8 million people in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Somalia face are severely food insecure and are in need of humanitarian assistance.
• Approximately 600,000 children aged 6 to 59 months in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia will be in need of treatment for severe acute malnutrition in 2017 and this number is expected to rise rapidly. In Somalia, 13 out of 27 rural and displaced groups have Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates above emergency (15 per cent) levels.
• The drought and the associated reduced access to water and sanitation has the potential to further exacerbate ongoing disease outbreaks and create new ones. About 15 million people will not have access to safe drinking water in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia in 2017.
• Drought, economic shocks and conflict in the region have disrupted the education of approximately 6 million children in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
• The drought has triggered movements of families in search of grazing land, water and work, increasing the risk of family separation and tensions among communities over scarce resources.
• Repeated cycles of climatic shocks, coupled with insufficient recovery periods, have limited household and community coping mechanisms.

Sinking Mexico City Faces Water Crisis

Large parts of Mexico City sinking at rates of up to 23cm per year —Report

“Always short of water, Mexico City keeps drilling deeper for more, weakening the ancient clay lake beds on which the Aztecs first built much of the city, causing it to crumble even further.”

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/02/17/world/americas/mexico-city-sinking.html

Related Links

Drying Aquifers, Sinking Cities

States of Emergency Declared in Chile amid Major Wildfires

Wildfires plague drought-stricken Chile

Chile has declared a “state of disaster” due to the latest round of wildfires in the drought-stricken provinces of Cardenal Caro and Colchagua, which are also under “agricultural emergency.”

• Wildfires threaten vineyards and wineries in Colchagua Valley, which have been placed on red alert.
• The worst affected areas are Malloa, Marchigüe, Palmilla, Peralillo, Pumanque, Rengo and Santa Cruz.
• More than a dozen blazes have spread across over 135,000 of hectares, according to local news.
• Fire is spreading at a speeds of up to 4,200 meters per hour.
• Smoke and ash are affecting the Chilean capital and largest city, Santiago.

Additional details are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

FIRE-EARTH Alert: Global Drought Conditions

Current Drought Conditions

GPCC based 1-month SPI

For the second month in a row, the European Union’s crop monitoring service lowered the corn yield forecast for this year. In Asia, drought continues throughout central Russia and a ring from the Indian sub-Continent around eastern China and Mongolia. In China, drought in the northwestern Gansu Province led to implementation of the government’s level-IV emergency response plan. In Africa, short-term drought eased slightly in the western part of the continent while continuing to strongly impact South Africa. In South Africa, there has been a culling of hippo and buffalo herds due to the poor condition of vegetation. In North America, drought remains entrenched along the western coast as well as through New England and the US Southeast. In the US Northeast, the apple crop has suffered due to the drought with noticeably smaller fruit produced this year. In South America, drought continues in Brazil as well as from the equator down along the Andes. Irrigation water for farms was restricted in Espirito Santo, where rivers were largely dry. In Oceania, drought continued nearly unchanged.  [Images and text sourced from NOAA]

North America
http://www.drought.gov/nadm

Europe
http://edo.jrc.ec.europa.eu/php/index.php?id=1120

Africa
http://drought.icpac.net/
http://hydrology.princeton.edu/~justin/research/project_global_monitor/

Australia
http://www.daff.gov.au/abares/monitor
http://www.bom.gov.au/

FIRE-EARTH Alert: Deadly Wildfires Force Mass Evacuation in TN

US Wildfires Consume Forest, Damage or Destroy Hundreds of Buildings, Force Mass Evacuation in Tennessee

• Details of the Alert are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

 

FIRE-EARTH Alert: CLDT

CJ Members

Drought Kills 102 Million Trees in California

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Friday that the U.S. Forest Service has identified an additional 36 million dead trees across California since its last aerial survey in May 2016. This brings the total number of dead trees since 2010 to over 102 million on 7.7 million acres of California’s drought-stricken forests.

Drought has killed at least 62 million trees in 2016 alone, representing more than a 100 percent increase in dead trees across the state from 2015. Millions of additional trees are weakened and expected to die in the coming months and years.

Drought kills more than 102 million trees in California, including 62 million this year alone. US Forest Service.

“These dead and dying trees continue to elevate the risk of wildfire, complicate our efforts to respond safely and effectively to fires when they do occur, and pose a host of threats to life and property across California,” said Agriculture Secretary. “USDA has made restoration work and the removal of excess fuels a top priority, but until Congress passes a permanent fix to the fire budget, we can’t break this cycle of diverting funds away from restoration work  to fight the immediate threat of the large unpredictable fires caused by the fuel buildups themselves.”

This year, California had a record setting wildfire season, with the Blue Cut fire alone scorching over 30,000 acres and triggering the evacuation of 80,000 people. In the southeastern United States wildfires have burned more than 120,000 acres this fall. The southeast region of the Forest Service is operating at the highest preparedness level, PL 5, reflecting the high level of physical resources and funding devoted to the region.  Extreme drought conditions persist, and many areas have not seen rain for as many as 95 days.

• Details of Alert are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

FIRE-EARTH Alert: VTNM

CJ Members

FIRE-EARTH Alert: State of Emergency Continues in Vietnam amid Drought and Deluge

• More than 2 million people in Vietnam are experiencing acute water shortages and 18 of 63 provinces have been in a state of emergency since May.

• Meanwhile, several rounds of flooding since last month have destroyed or severely damaged at least 200,000 homes, destroying roads and other public infrastructure across 15 provinces, authorities said.

• Floodwaters have destroyed up to 20,000 hectares of crops, killing about 60,000 cattle and poultry.

• Details of the Alert are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

FIRE-EARTH Alert: HFRC

CJ Members

FIRE-EARTH Alert: Horn of Africa – Convergence of Climatic, Conflict and Economic Shocks

• The number of food insecure people in the region facing Crisis and Emergency has more than doubled in the 12 months to September from 11.0 million to 23.4 million people. The worst affected countries are Ethiopia (9.7 million people), South Sudan (4.79 million people), and Sudan (4.42 million people).

• Full details of the Alert are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

FIRE-EARTH Alert: MGSR

CJ Members

FIRE-EARTH Alert: Madagascar Drought Disaster

• Details of the Alert are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

Drought Destroys Crops in Wyoming, Montana

Drought Disaster Declared for Multiple Counties across Two U.S. States

Drought Disaster Emergency Designations

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated a total of 13 counties across two states—Wyoming and Montana—as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a recent drought. Those areas are:

Wyoming. Big Horn, Campbell, Converse, Fremont, Hot Springs, Johnson, Natrona, Park,  Sheridan and Washakie counties.

Montana. Big Horn, Carbon and Powder River counties.

Notes:
i. USDA trigger point for a countywide disaster declaration is 30 percent crop loss on one or more crops.

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.

Crop Disaster Designations – 2016

• Crop Disasters Declared for Counties in 3 U.S. States June 1, 2016
• Drought Disaster Declared for Counties in Arizona, California May 23, 2016
• Drought Disasters Declared for Counties in Oregon, California, Nevada, Hawaii May 13, 2016
• Drought Disaster Declared for Counties in Arizona, California May 7, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Texas, Utah, Oklahoma, Nevada and Hawaii April 22, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Montana; Wildfire Emergencies in Kansas, Oklahoma
• Crop Disasters Declared in North Carolina March 31, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Puerto Rico March 26, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Florida, Georgia  March 18, 2016
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Nine U.S. States March 4, 2016

• Multiple Crop Disasters Hit Eight U.S. States February 29, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Montana February 25, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in the U.S. States of North Carolina and Virginia February 11, 2016

• Crop Disasters Declared in Two U.S. States February 5, 2016
• Extreme Weather Events Destroy Crops in Georgia & the Carolinas January 24, 2016
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Three U.S. States January 9, 2016
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Nearly 3M People in Central America Rely on Food Aid to Survive

2.8 Million people Need Food Aid in Drought-Hit Central America: UN

At least  2.8 million people in three Central American countries—El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras—need food aid after two consecutive years of severe drought decimated crops and exacerbated hunger among the poor, said the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

“People are and have been selling their assets to survive, selling land and seeds, reducing the number of meals a day and reducing their amount of protein intake,” said a disaster response coordinator for Central America at the U.N. humanitarian agency (OCHA).

“Right now the situation is very serious, and it’s fragile.”

Losses as of September 2015 (FAO)

At an estimated 3 million tonnes across the subregion, this year’s maize harvest is expected to be far below average and some 8 percent below last year’s already compromised harvest.

Production declines are expected to be particularly sharp in El Salvador and Honduras, which both saw 60 percent of their maize crops destroyed by the irregular rainfall earlier this year. In El Salvador alone, losses are estimated at $28 million in seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and land preparation. Honduras additionally saw 80 percent of its beans perish.

In Guatemala’s most affected areas, some 80 percent of crops are estimated to have been lost, including 55,000 tonnes of maize and 11,500 tonnes of beans, affecting over 150,000 families.

Drought Severely Affects Malawi and Zimbabwe

Severe food shortages in southern Africa worsening dramatically

Severe drought said to be related to El Nino weather pattern is affecting southern and eastern Africa. Drought follows extreme rain events and severe flooding that had previously inundated parts of the region.

“The crisis has affected some 32 million people in Southern Africa alone, and experts say they expect new assessments to rise to nearly 50 million people in early June.”

Africa’s breadbasket is empty

The UN World Food Program estimates that 16 million people in southern Africa are affected by the El Nino phenomenon, and that’s not counting the drastic increase of numbers in South Africa. Seven of the country’s nine provinces have been declared disaster areas. The government has channeled the equivalent of 55 million euros towards emergency aid. A country which normally produces so much corn that it can provide for the needs in neighboring Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland is now forced to import huge quantities.

Hunger in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe declared a state of emergency back in February. Owing to the drought, today almost one out of three Zimbabweans is dependent on aid. In the past twelve months, rain precipitation was about half that of the previous year.

The situation is particularly dire in the Mudzi district in northeastern Zimbabwe, on the border with Mozambique. Over 85 percent of the population there is dependent on food aid.

Malawi plagued by extreme drought

Malawi is also suffering from extreme drought. Prices for staple foods like corn, beans and rice, have risen steeply. People this year have less than five percent of the amount produced in recent years at their disposal. More than half of the country’s population of 15 million is now dependent on aid. Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika declared a state of emergency in April and called on the world to help.

Mozambique: Drought in the south, floods in the north

Most water sources in the country have dried up. Much of the water that can still be found is salty. Animals are dying and the harvest will be even more meager than last year. A total of 600,000 Mozambicans are dependent on emergency aid. Authorities expect the number to increase significantly in the next couple of weeks. Rita Namucho, spokesperson for the country’s national water utilities, is very worried about the situation in Combumune: “For the last few months it has been possible to cross the river on foot. This is unusual because we are still in the rainy season.”

Meanwhile, recent rains in the north have destroyed 3,500 houses. “Many people drowned in the floods,” director of the Mozambican Center for Civil Protection told DW. Mozambique is one of the ten countries of the world hardest hit by climate change.

Angola’s government ‘is looking away‘

In Angola, the areas most affected by drought are the southern provinces of Cunene and Huila. DW correspondents have reported about people dying of hunger in an area inhabited by some three million people.

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Hyenas Attack Starving Women in Drought-Plagued Somaliland

Somaliland facing wide-spread famine

The worst drought in living memory is killing humans and animals alike across the East African region.

Charity workers report cases of women collapsing from hunger and being attacked by starving hyenas. [Welcome to Planet Earth!]

“They fell down, malnourished, and we understand they were then set on by the animals,” said a charity representative.

Scores of goats, kettle, and even drought-resistant camels have already died in the drought-plagued Somaliland. More images…

“Malnourished mothers are unable to breastfeed their babies, and farmers are feeding cardboard boxes to their animals because there is no grass left for grazing,” said the report.

“I spoke to families who had 500 or more animals three months ago, and now are left with 20 or fewer,” said a British politician.

“For people who rely on their animals for meat, milk and trade, it’s the equivalent of losing your entire life savings.”

Drought conditions that previously hit every seven to 10 years are now an annual occurrence, she said.

A Relief spokeswoman said there was a “terrible sense of deja vu” after a drought killed more than 250,000 people in southern Somalia in 2011.

[Republic of Somaliland (pop: 4.5m) is a self-declared state internationally recognized as an autonomous region of the Federal Republic of Somalia (pop:11.5m).]

Read more…

Related Links

• 300,000 Children in Somalia Suffering from Malnutrition May 1, 2016

Deadly Forest Fires Plague Northern India

Drought, heatwaves intensify forest fires in Uttarakhand, N. Indian

Hundreds of forest fires have killed at least a dozen people and consumed thousands of hectares (acres) of forest in the India’s northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.

About 430 separate fires have been burning simultaneously since Friday, according to local reports.

Fires have been widespread this year due multiple factors including record-breaking heatwaves, exceptionally dry forests and minimal rainfall.

National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) reported that 70% of the flames have been put out earlier today, according to satellite imagery.

‘Parched earth, broken promises’

Meanwhile, million of people hit by a third year of “epic drought” across India’s parched districts say the government is not doing nearly enough to help, said a report.

Related Links

• Extreme Heat Kills Hundreds of People across South Asia April 30, 2016
• Deadly Heatwave Intensifies in India, Odisha Broils at Record 48.5ºC April 25, 2016
• Vietnam Reports Mass Fish Deaths April 22, 2016
• 330 Million People Affected by Severe Drought: Indian Govt April 20, 2016
• Deadly Heatwave Persists in India April 14, 2016