U.S. Drought Spreads

D0-D4 drought conditions extend by 10.4 percent across CONUS since last week

Areas across the Contiguous United States covered by “Abnormally Dry” (D0) to “Exceptional Drought” (D4) levels have extended by about 10.4 percent since last week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The latest statistics for total US are 53.02 percent of the area as of October 20, up from 48.69 percent previously.

“Significant rain began to overspread the south-central U.S. on October 21, a day after the drought-monitoring period ended, and will be reflected in next week’s U.S. Drought Monitor.” said the Drought Monitor.

Source: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/

Drought Crop Disaster Declared in Texas

Drought destroys crops in 30 Texas counties

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared 30 additional counties across Texas as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the worsening drought.

The drought disaster designations are for the following areas:

• Atascosa, Burnet, Lampasas, San Saba and Van Zandt counties, as well as
  Bell, Henderson, McCulloch, Travis, Bexar, Hunt, McMullen, Williamson, Blanco, Karnes, Mason, Wilson, Brown, Kaufman, Medina, Wood, Coryell, La Salle, Mills, Frio, Live Oak, Rains, Hamilton, Llano and Smith counties.

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 1,025 counties across 20  states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.

Majority of the 2015 crop disaster designations so far are due to drought.

Crop Disasters 2014

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

Those states were:

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

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

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

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

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

v. The disaster designations posted above were approved by USDA on April 8, 2015 and posted on USDA website on April 11, 2015 in a  separate declarations.

U.S. Drought Continues Spreading

U.S. Drought Population Data. Source: U.S. Drought Monitor

Drought Severity
D0 – Abnormally Dry || D1 – Moderate Drought || D2 – Severe Drought|| D3 – Extreme Drought || D4 – Exceptional Drought

California plagued by fourth consecutive year of drought

With temperatures averaging more than 10°F above normal for the week, snowpacks continued to dwindle; as of April 1, the state’s total snowpack stood at a meager 5 percent of average. Indicative of the virtually non-existent snowpack, stream flows have dropped into the 5th percentile or lower over much of California. In addition, the 2014-15 Water Year has ended on an abysmal note, with precipitation over the past 30 days totaling a mere 10 percent of normal or less from Redding southward.  Continued dryness resulted in an expansion of Exceptional Drought (D4) in northwest California. [Source: U.S. Drought Monitor]

National Drought Summary – issued April 7, 2015

This week saw warmer than normal temperatures impacting roughly two-thirds of the nation. A significant storm brought abundant rain to the Ohio Valley and severe weather through that region and the Central Plains. The storm brought tornados, hail, and strong winds to over 15 states. Most of the rest of the country experienced continued dryness. Strong winds and warmer than average temperatures added short-term insult to the long-term drought impacting the Southern Plains. [Source: U.S. Drought Monitor]

Related Links

• Drought Destroys Crops in CA, OR, ID, UT, AZ and NV April 9, 2015
• Drought Crop Disaster Declared in Utah April 3, 2015
• Federal Disasters
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Drought Destroys Crops in CA, OR, ID, UT, AZ and NV

Drought Crop Disasters Declared in Six States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued 47 additional county-level drought disaster designations across six states—California, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Arizona and Nevada—due to damages and losses caused by the worsening drought.

The drought disaster destinations are for the following areas:

California. Del Norte, Humboldt, Modoc and Siskiyou [multiple crop disaster designations, “MCDD”] counties.
Oregon. Baker [MCDD], Curry , Deschutes, Douglas, Grant, Harney, Jackson Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Lane and Malheur [MCDD] counties.
Idaho. Canyon, Cassia, Owyhee, Payetteand, and Washington counties.
Utah. Adams, Box Elder, Gem, Payette, Tooele and Washington counties.
Arizona.  Gila, La Paz, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai and Yuma counties.
Nevada. Elko, Eureka, Humboldt [MCDD,] Lander, Nye, White Pine and Washoe counties.

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 995 counties across 20  states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.

Majority of the 2015 crop disaster designations so far are due to drought.

Crop Disasters 2014

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

Those states were:

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

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

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

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

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

v. The disaster designations posted above were approved by USDA on April 8, 2015 in five separate declarations.

U.S. Drought Continues Spreading

U.S. Drought Population Data. Source: U.S. Drought Monitor

Drought Severity
D0 – Abnormally Dry || D1 Drought – Moderate || D2 Drought – Severe || D3 Drought – Extreme || D4 Drought – Exceptional

California plagued by fourth consecutive year of drought

With temperatures averaging more than 10°F above normal for the week, snowpacks continued to dwindle; as of April 1, the state’s total snowpack stood at a meager 5 percent of average. Indicative of the virtually non-existent snowpack, streamflows have dropped into the 5th percentile or lower over much of California. In addition, the 2014-15 Water Year has ended on an abysmal note, with precipitation over the past 30 days totaling a mere 10 percent of normal or less from Redding southward.  Continued dryness resulted in an expansion of Exceptional Drought (D4) in northwest California. [Source: U.S. Drought Monitor]

Related Links

• Drought Crop Disaster Declared in Utah April 3, 2015
• Federal Disasters
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Madagascar: More than 200,000 People Face Starvation

Exceptional drought destroys crops destroyed in southern Madagascar

Between 200,000 to 350,000 Malagasy suffer from hunger, reported AFP citing government figures.

The food has become scarce, and local officials have reported multiple cases of children dying from starvation, said the report.

The situation is currently being described as “famine,” as in 1991, when hundreds of people died of hunger in the region. “At the time, people left their villages to reach the water points and died on the way,” said an AFP reporter.

Head of  the Health center for one of the drought-stricken areas told the reporter that at least 16 children had died in two villages in December 2014.

“These children showed no signs of illness, they just lost weight progressively until death,” he said.

Meantime, flooding and landslides in the capital, Antananarivo, have killed dozens of people, leaving more than 63,000 others homeless, so far this year.

 

Exceptional Drought Grows in California

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

Golden State Turns Dark Brown

Exceptional Drought spreads to 58.41 percent of California, up from 36.49 percent last week, according to the latest data release by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The entire land area in the Golden State is experiencing ‘Severe’ to Exceptional drought, according to U.S. Drought Monitor.

Source: US Drought Monitor, data released July 31, 2014.

National Drought Summary for July 29, 2014: State of California

Increasingly, drought indicators point to the fact that conditions are not appreciably better in northern California than in central and southern sections of the state. In addition, mounting evidence from reservoir levels, river gauges, ground water observations, and socio-economic impacts warrant a further expansion of exceptional drought (D4) into northern California. For California’s 154 intrastate reservoirs, storage at the end of June stood at 60% of the historical average. Although this is not a record for this time of year—the standard remains 41% of average on June 30, 1977—storage has fallen to 17.3 million acre-feet. As a result, California is short more than one year’s worth of reservoir water, or 11.6 million acre-feet, for this time of year. The historical average warm-season drawdown of California’s 154 reservoirs totals 8.2 million acre-feet, but usage during the first 2 years of the drought, in 2012 and 2013, averaged 11.5 million acre-feet.

Given the 3-year duration of the drought, California’s topsoil moisture (80% very short to short) and subsoil moisture (85%) reserves are nearly depleted. The state’s rangeland and pastures were rated 70% very poor to poor on July 27. USDA reported that “range and non-irrigated pasture conditions continued to deteriorate” and that “supplemental feeding of hay and nutrients continued as range quality declined.” In recent days, new wildfires have collectively charred several thousand acres of vegetation in northern and central California. The destructive Sand fire, north of Plymouth, California—now largely contained—burned more than 4,000 acres and consumed 66 structures, including 19 residences. [ U.S. Drought Monitor]

California experiences record warmest winter and spring

Meanwhile, the most populous U.S. state saw its warmest winter and spring on record this year, with the temperatures rising 2.8ºC (5 degrees Fahrenheit)  above normal during the first six months of 2014,  about 0.6ºC (1 degree F) warmer than the previous record, increasing the threat of water famine, crop disasters and wildfires even further.

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: Biggest Desert in N America August 16, 2009
• Warning: California Is Being Mojavefied! January 30, 2009

California State Resources

• Electronic reservoir readings – http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cdecapp/resapp/getResGraphsMain.action
• Water Conditions – http://www.water.ca.gov/waterconditions/
• California Drought Page – http://www.water.ca.gov/waterconditions/drought/

California Drought Disasters

• Extreme Drought Spreads in California July 25, 2014
• Drought Spells More Crop Disasters for Five States May 22, 2014
• Southern Sierra Loses Snow Cover May 27, 2014
• California’s Snow Story: Going, Going … May 21, 2014
• Severe – Exceptional Drought Plague 100% of California  May 16, 2014

WE TOLD YOU SO: Golden State Continues Shrinking

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT
RISING TEMPERATURES
FISHERY DISASTERS
CROP DISASTERS
MULTIPLE STATES OF EMERGENCY
SCENARIOS 555, 444, 111, 071, 03
.

Exceptional Drought Plagues Third of California

Exceptional Drought spreads to about 33 percent of California, up from 25 percent last week— a jump of 32 percent.

The entire state of California, now in its third year of a catastrophic drought, has been experiencing severe drought or worse for about three months.

“Usually about this time of year we kind of settle into a pattern where it stabilizes and we don’t expect things to change,” said California state climatologist. “But in this case with the severity of the drought we expect to see more impacts come up as the summer progresses.”

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: Congratulations! The above forecast and most of the links posted below have previously been filtered/censored by Google, WordPress and others. Editor]

• California: Biggest Desert in N America August 16, 2009
• Warning: California Is Being Mojavefied! January 30, 2009

Related Links

• Californians Lose Collective Life Insurance Policy June 3, 2014
• California Groundwater Levels 100 Feet Below Previous Historic Lows
• Gov Brown Issues Second Drought Emergency Proclamation for the Golden State April 27, 2014
• Warmest Winter on Record Deepens California Drought March 18, 2014

• COLLAPSE OF CALIFORNIA LOOMS February 2, 2014
• California Drought Could Paralyze the U.S. February 2, 2014

• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Fishery Disasters

• Drought, Rising Temperatures Force Evacuation of California Trout Hatcheries June 18, 2014

Fire Forces Mass Evacuations in S. California

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT
DROUGHT STATES OF EMERGENCY
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES
.

Wildfire Threatens Wealthy Communities East of Los Angeles

The blaze, dubbed the Etiwanda Fire, broke out in the San Bernardino National Forest, fanned by hurricane force-winds of up to 130 km/h amid exceptional drought and unseasonably hot weather in the region.

The fast-moving fire had burnt more than 1,000 acres  by Wednesday afternoon, and forced mandatory evacuations of about 1,700 residences in the foothills of mountains north of Rancho Cucamonga.

Authorities also evacuated Los Osos High School and canceled classes at Chaffey College for the day, said Cal Fire.

Exceptional Drought – States of Emergency

With California’s driest months ahead, Governor Brown has issued a second executive order in just three month to “redouble state drought actions, and has called on all Californians to redouble their efforts to conserve water.”

“The driest months are still to come in California and extreme drought conditions will get worse,” said Brown. “This order cuts red tape to help get water to farmers more quickly, ensure communities have safe drinking water, protect vulnerable species and prepare for an extreme fire season. I call on every city, every community, every Californian to conserve water in every way possible.”

FIRE-EARTH Forecast: The worsening drought and other climatic conditions in California are setting the stage for a potentially very destructive fire season throughout the state, as well as in the West, South and Central U.S.

Etiwanda Fire Incident Information:

Date/Time Started: April 30, 2014 8:00 am
Administrative Unit: CAL FIRE San Bernardino / USFS / Rancho Cucamonga Fire
County: San Bernardino County
Location: North of Rancho Cucamonga
Acres Burned: 1,000 acres
[Containment: None]
Structures Threatened: Structures remain threatened
Structures Destroyed: 1 structure damaged

Related Links

• LAST CHANCE TO DECORPORATIZE, REHUMANIZE April 27, 2014

What’s Your Story?

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT
WATER FAMINE
.

Drought worsens in southwest China

Lives of more than 60,000 people depend on this reservoir!

Chuanqian Reservoir in Heba Town, Fenggang County, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, March 22, 2014. (Photo: Xinhua/Luo Xinghan)

Istanbul Running Out of Water in 100 Days

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT
.

14 Million people threatened by exceptional drought in Istanbul, Turkey: Expert

Turkey’s largest city, and its cultural, economic, and historical hub, is seriously threatened by exceptional drought. The drought has left more than 14 million in the city with only 100 days of water, according to an expert.

“Having only 100 days of water reserve means that very tight measures should be taken,” Tugba Maden, a water expert in the Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies, told Xinhua.

The dams supplying water to Istanbul are down to about 35 percent of their full capacity, with a total current reserves of about 300 million cubic meters. At least three of the reservoirs are already experiencing severe water shortages.

Additionally, water levels in the Euphrates river valley and the Tigris River, the main water basins of Turkey, are at or near historic lows, with no sign of  rain or snow, said the expert.

Sprawled over an area of 5,343km², Istanbul is one of the largest urban areas in Europe and world’s second-largest city by population.

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

U.S. Drought Intensifying

Drought conditions spread to more than ¾ of the U.S.

Moderate to Exceptional drought levels (D1 – D4) have intensified  by about 10 percent since last week, spreading throughout the contiguous U.S.

• D0 – D4 drought conditions prevail in 76.33 percent of the lower 48.
• Alaska has not reported any change in drought levels.
• Hawaii drought conditions increased to 81.07% from 78.89% last week.

U.S. Drought Map. Released July 5, 2012

Map of Total Precipitation in the U.S. – 7 Days

Map of Total Precipitation in the U.S. – 30 Days

U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook (July 5 to September 30, 2012)

Recent History

Weekly US Drought Map, January 3, 2012.  Source: US Drought Monitor.

Related Links

• Drought Disaster Declared in Montana Posted on July 5, 2012
• Colorado Declared Agri Disaster Area Posted on July 4, 2012
• Disaster Declared in 94 Counties across 4 States Posted on July 3, 2012

• Deadly Heat Blankets Eastern U.S. Posted on July 2, 2012
• Deadly Heat Wave Affects Third of U.S. Population Posted on June 30, 2012
• The record-setting heat wave continues to expand Posted on June 30, 2012
• Explosive Wildfires Continue Erupting Across the U.S. Posted on June 29, 2012
• Destructive Wildfire Activity Intensifies in Colorado Posted on June 28, 2012
• Drought 2012

Drought Intensifies Throughout USA

More than 60% of the lower 48 states and Hawaii in “abnormally dry” or drought conditions

Wildfires as far north as upstate New York and multiple outbreaks of brushfires along the Atlantic Coast from New England to Florida are occurring due to unusually dry weather and winds.

List of states that are in 100% “abnormally dry” or drought conditions

• Arizona
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Vermont

More than 99.96% of Florida  is currently in drought, with nearly a third of the state experiencing the worst two categories of drought, Extreme (D3), and Exceptional (D4).

List of states that are in more than 94% “abnormally dry” or drought conditions

• California (95.11%)
• Colorado (94.83%)
• Georgia (95.48%)
• Maryland (98.05%)
• Minnesota (99.88%)
• Nevada (99.87%)
• Utah (99.01%)

More than 84% of Georgia is currently in drought, with nearly two-thirds of the state experiencing D3 and D4 drought levels.

The following excerpts are from the U.S. Drought Monitor (Report released on April 12, 2012)

• The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
  • The U.S. Drought Monitor report:  During the past 60-days, 25 to 50 percent of normal precipitation has fallen from northern Virginia northward into coastal Maine, with deficits between 4 and 8 inches. Similar percentages and deficiencies also existed at 90-days in the same areas. Since the start of the year, deficits have included: 7.63 inches at Islip, NY; 7.39 inches at Providence, RI; 7.18 inches at Boston, MA; 5.71 inches at Salisbury, MD; and 4.90 inches at Hartford, CT.  The early green-up of trees and vegetation was slowed by the colder air, but yet many plants have begun to grow, taking moisture out of the soils. According to the USGS, stream flow levels were at near- or record lows for April 10 at 1-, 7-, 14-, and 28-day averages in much of New England and the mid-Atlantic. Additionally, there have been several outbreaks of brushfires and some large wild fires, even as far north as upstate New York.

• Southeast:
  • Augusta, Georgia.  The driest rolling 365-day period ending on April 4 beat the former record by 5 inches, while this 365-day period was the 4th driest such period ever (since 1872).
  • Florida. In Florida, the continued lack of rain produced additional deterioration across the state. The first 100 days at Jacksonville, FL, have been the driest since 1921, and only 30 percent of normal.
  • Lake Okeechobee was below 12 feet this morning (11.97 feet, or 2.1 feet below normal), and now falling at 0.2 to 0.3 feet per week. Numerous wild fires have occurred throughout the state as the fire index is now over 700 in south-central Florida.

• Midwest.
  • Little or no precipitation fell over the drought areas of the upper Midwest and adjacent northern Plains. Although temperature anomalies decreased from previous weeks, readings still averaged 6 to 12 ºF above normal.
  • According to the USDA, percent topsoil and subsoil moisture rated very short or short was: Illinois (46/47), Minnesota (60/68), and Iowa (78/85).
  • Canton Lake in Fulton County, IL, was 5 feet below full pool.

• The Plains:
  • A scattering of moderate (0.5 to 1.5 inches) to heavy (1.5 to 4 inches) rains fell on parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, eastern Colorado, and southern Nebraska, but from central Nebraska into the Dakotas, little or no rain was measured.
  • In the northern Plains, however, another dry and mild week further depleted soil moisture as accumulated short-term deficiencies slowly increased. Based upon the 60-, 90-, and 120-day anomalies, D0 expanded in central South Dakota while D1 spread into north-central and southwestern South Dakota and western Nebraska.

• The West:
  • Light to moderate precipitation (0.5 to 2 inches) was confined from northern California and the northern Sierra Nevada northward into the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies. Little or no precipitation fell on central and southern California, the Great Basin, and the Southwest. Temperatures averaged below normal in western areas, slightly above normal in far eastern sections.

• Hawaii:
  • In Hawaii, some windward locations on Maui and the Big Island received 2 to 4 inches of rain, but much less fell on leeward sides. Fortunately, most of the islands (except the Big Island) received surplus March rainfall, easing any further deterioration there. On the Big Island, however, many northern and leeward locations have reported less than 25 percent of normal rainfall since January 1. Kona coffee growers indicated that leaves are starting to shrivel on their trees and berries are starting to fall.
  • Author: David Miskus, Climate Prediction Center/NCEP/NWS/NOAA

Recent Global Drought Links

• Drought Index Page
• Extreme or Severe Drought Covers 3/4 of Portugal Posted on March 4, 2012
• Hundreds Evacuated Amid Spain Wildfires
• Hunger Plagues Indigenous Community in N Mexico Posted on January 21, 2012
• Mexico declares disaster in drought-stricken areas Posted on January 9, 2012
• Drought 2012 Posted on January 8, 2012
• Drought Declared in Southeast UK Posted on February 21, 2012
• Food production drops 40 percent in Mexico due to drought Posted on March 11, 2012

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar: Collapse has already Begun