Extreme Weather Events Destroy Crops in Georgia & the Carolinas

Crop disasters declared in 37 counties across three U.S. states

Lingering excessive heat, excessive rain and moisture have destroyed or damaged crops in at least 37 counties across three states: Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 20 counties in Georgia as crop disaster area due to damages and losses caused by excessive rain and moisture that occurred from Aug. 24, 2015, and continues. Those counties are:

Appling, Brantley, Bulloch, Burke, Emanuel, Glynn, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Laurens, Long, McIntosh, Montgomery, Pierce, Screven, Tattnall, Toombs, Treutlen, Treutlen and Wayne.

USDA has also designated 17 counties across the Carolinas as crop disaster area due to damages and losses caused by drought and excessive heat that occurred from April 25, 2015, and continues. Those counties are:

North Carolina. Cabarrus, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Rowan, Stanly, Surry, Union, Wilkes and Yadkin.

South Carolina. Lancaster and York.

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas on Jan. 20, 2016.

Crop Disasters 2015

USDA declared crop disasters in at least 4,017 counties and county equivalents across 46 States [as well as Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands] in 2015. Those states are Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

• About 99 percent of the 2015 crop disaster designations were due to drought last year.

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.

Related Links

• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Three U.S. States January 9, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Five U.S. States December 24, 2015
• Crop Disasters Declared in North Carolina, Virginia December 19, 2015

• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Montana December 19, 2015
• Crop Disasters Declared in Alabama, Florida, Georgia December 10, 2015
• Crop Disasters Declared in the Carolinas December 3, 2015
• Crop Disasters Declared in Kansas December 3, 2015
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Michigan and Ohio November 26, 2015
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Six U.S. States November 22, 2015
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Crop Disasters Declared in 191 Counties across 10 U.S. States

Extreme Weather Events destroy crops in 191 counties across 10 States

Drought, excessive heat, frost, freeze, high wind, excessive snow, hail, lightning, excessive rain and tornado have destroyed at least 30 percent of the crops in 191 counties across 10 states—Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina, reported USDA.

Disaster Designations #1
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated a total of 22 counties in Texas as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a recent drought. Those counties are:

Texas (22). Anderson, Angelina, Bell, Brazos, Burleson, Cherokee, Falls, Freestone, Grimes, Henderson, Hill, Houston, Leon, Limestone, Madison, McLennan, Milam, Navarro, Robertson, Trinity, Walker and Washington counties.

Disaster Designations #2
USDA has designated a total of 63 counties in three states—South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina—as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive heat and drought that occurred from May 1, 2015, and continues. Those counties are:

South Carolina (45). Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Cherokee, Chester, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Florence, Georgetown, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Horry, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union, Williamsburg and York counties.

Georgia (4). Burke, Columbia, Richmond and Screven counties.

North Carolina (14). Anson, Brunswick, Cleveland, Columbus, Gaston, Henderson, Mecklenburg, Polk, Richmond, Robeson, Rutherford, Scotland, Transylvania and Union counties.

Disaster Designations #3
USDA has designated the following 51 counties in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont as crop  disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rain, high winds, hail, lightning and a tornado that occurred from May 1, 2015, through July 14, 2015. Those areas are:

New York (44). Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Schuyler, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties.

Pennsylvania (4). Erie, Susquehanna, Warren and Wayne counties.

Vermont (3). Addison, Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.

Disaster Designations #4
USDA has designated the following 39 counties in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Vermont as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by frost, freeze and excessive snow that occurred from Jan. 1, 2015, through May 24, 2015. Those areas are:

New York (33). Albany, Allegany, Bronx, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Greene, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Nassau, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Oswego, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Schoharie, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Sullivan, Tompkins, Ulster, Wayne, Westchester and Wyoming counties.

Connecticut (2). Fairfield and Litchfield counties.

Massachusetts (1). Berkshire County.

New Jersey (1). Bergen County.

Vermont (2). McKean and Warren counties.

Disaster Designations #5
USDA has designated a total of 16 counties in New York, Massachusetts and Vermont as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by drought that occurred from June 1, 2015, and continues.

New York (12). Albany, Columbia, Essex, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, and Washington counties.

Massachusetts (1). Berkshire County.

Vermont (3). Addison, Bennington and Rutland counties.

All of the counties listed above were designated crop disaster areas by USDA on September 9, 2015.

U.S. Drought Monitor – Weekly Comparison: CONUS

Week	None	D0-D4	D1-D4	D2-D4	D3-D4	D4
2015-09-08	49.63	50.37	31.67	19.62	10.92	3.00
2015-09-01	54.21	45.79	30.43	18.72	10.71	3.00

 

Total U.S.

Week	None	D0-D4	D1-D4	D2-D4	D3-D4	D4
2015-09-08	48.00	52.00	28.14	16.44	9.14	2.51
2015-09-01	50.12	49.88	28.40	15.69	8.97	2.51

 

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 2,574 counties, county equivalents and municipalities, across 41 States [as well as Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands]: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, Wyoming.

About 99 percent of the 2015 crop disaster designations are due to drought so far this year.

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.

Related Links

• Drought and Deluge, Hail and Heavy Rain Destroy Crops in U.S. September 4, 2015
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in 9 States, USVI August 27, 2015
• Drought Destroys More Crops in Florida, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, P. Rico August 20, 2015
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Massive Heatwave Hits Europe (Round 3)

Dry conditions destroy crops in Central and Eastern Europe

Additionally, a drought is severely affecting agricultural areas of southern Poland, amid where crops bone dry condition and the blazing heat, said a report.

“The heatwave has also forced Poland to restrict electricity supplies to industry, pushing some firms to limit production.”

Meanwhile, soaring temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius have broken multiple record across Germany. Record heat has also affected River Elbe in Dresden, with ware levels falling to extreme lows.

Record-breaking heatwave is also affecting France, Italy, Sweden and Ukraine, according to local reports.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has issued the following bulletin:

Heat building into the West

Temperatures will soar this week in the West. The hottest temperatures will be felt in the deserts of southern Calif. and Ariz. where Excessive Heat Watches are in effect. Temperatures could exceed 115 [46°C] in some locations. Farther north, these hot temperatures will contribute to fire danger in parts of northern California and the Pacific Northwest where Red Flag Warnings are in effect.

 

Disaster declared due to drought, derecho, extreme weather, Hurricane Sandy, snowstorm, nor’easter

U.S. Disasters 2013: Drought, derecho, hail, excessive heat, excessive rain, flash flooding, Hurricane Sandy, a snowstorm and a nor’easter

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 21 counties in 4 states—New Jersey, Delaware,  New York, and Pennsylvania—as natural disaster areas, both primary and contiguous, due to damages and losses caused by the combined effects of drought, high winds (derecho), hail, excessive heat, excessive rain, flash flooding, Hurricane Sandy, a snowstorm and a nor’easter that occurred during the period of June 28 – November 8, 2012.

As of February 13, prior to the latest designations, about 980 counties, nearly a third of all U.S. counties, had been designated for 2013 crop disaster losses, USDA reported.

FIRE-EARTH Drought Links 2013

• US: Drought Disaster 2013

Mississippi Disaster Declaration

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Mississippi in the areas affected by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding beginning on February 10, 2013, and continuing.

• The worst affected areas are Forrest and Lamar Counties.

Related Links

• U.S. Tornadoes and Solomon Islands Tsunami Updates February 12, 2013

• Tornadoes Destroy Hundreds of Buildings in Mississippi, Alabama February 11, 2013
• Next Blizzard Targets Northern Plains February 10, 2013
• States of Emergency Declared in 6 States Amid Blizzard  February 9, 2013
• America Under Siege by Forces of Nature  February 8, 2013

.

February 15, 2013 – DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,121 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,121 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

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

Two-thirds of the United States is now experiencing moderate to extreme drought

USDA has designated 76 additional counties [2012 total of 1,369 counties] in six states [total of 31 states] as primary natural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by drought and excessive heat.

During the 2012 crop year, USDA has designated 1,369 counties across 31 states as disaster areas—1,234 due to drought. The drought disaster declaration list also includes numerous other counties designated as contiguous disaster areas.

Most of the drought-stricken areas from Kansas to Ohio need in excess of 10 inches of rain to break the drought, said a National Weather Service meteorologist, however,  little precipitation is on the horizon.

“Monday’s crop ratings showed losses on par with the damage seen during the 1988 drought if these conditions persist,” said Bryce Knorr, senior editor for Farm Futures Magazine. “Weather so far has taken almost 4 billion bushels off the corn crop, so a lot of demand must still be rationed.”

List of the most recent counties declared as drought disaster areas by USDA on July 25:

• Kansas. USDA has declared 47 counties  in Kansas as agricultural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by the ongoing drought.
  • List of the 25 primary disaster areas: Chase, Franklin, Lincoln, Osage, Dickinson, Geary, Marion, Osborne, Douglas, Jefferson, Miami, Ottawa, Ellis, Johnson, Mitchell, Rush, Ellsworth, Leavenworth, Morris, Russell, Saline, Shawnee, Smith, Wabaunsee and Wyandotte counties.
  • List of the 22 contiguous disaster areas: Anderson, Cloud, Jewell, Ness, Atchison, Coffey, Linn, Pawnee, Barton, Greenwood, Lyon, Phillips, Butler, Harvey, McPherson, Pottawatomie, Clay, Jackson, Rice, Riley, Rooks and Trego counties.

• Missouri. The above Disaster declaration covers 5 counties in Missouri because they are contiguous: Bates, Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte counties.
• Nebraska.  Franklin and Webster counties.

• Michigan.   Drought disaster declared in 10 Michigan counties:
  • Primary DAs: Branch, Cass, Hillsdale and  St. Joseph counties.
  • Contiguous DAs: Berrien, Calhoun, Jackson, Kalamazoo Lenawee, and Van Buren counties.

• Indiana. Contiguous DAs: Elkhart, Lagrange, St. Joseph and Steuben counties.

• Ohio. Fulton and Williams counties.

• Nebraska.  USDA has declared 22 Nebraska counties as agricultural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by the ongoing  drought.
  

• Indiana. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 38 counties in Indiana as agricultural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by the ongoing drought.
  • Illinois. The above declaration also extends to three counties in Illinois: Clark, Edgar and Vermilion counties.

• Illinois. USDA has designated twelve counties in Illinois as agricultural  disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by the ongoing  drought.
  • PDAs: Crawford and Pike counties.
  • CDAs: Adams,  Calhoun,  Greene,  Lawrence, Richland,
    Brown, Clark, Jasper, Morgan and Scott counties.

• Wisconsin. USDA has designated 31 counties in Wisconsin as agricultural  disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by the ongoing drought.
  • Illinois. The above declaration extends to 6 contiguous areas in Illinois: Boone, Lake, Stephenson, Jo Daviess, McHenry and Winnebago counties.
  • Iowa. The above declaration also extends to 3 contiguous areas in Iowa: Allamakee, Clayton and Dubuque counties.

Weekly U.S. Precipitation Map for the Week Ending July 24, 2012. Source: HPRCC

Corn in Drought Map. Latest available map of drought superimposed on the corn production areas. This map depicts drought-affected areas of the U.S. corn producing farmland as of July 17, 2012. Approximately 88% of the corn grown in the U.S. is within an area-experiencing drought, based on historical U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) crop production data.

Other USDA Disaster Declarations

• Colorado. USDA has designated 8 counties in Colorado as agricultural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by freezing temperatures that occurred April 7-8, 2012.
  • Utah. The above declaration also extends to two counties in  Utah: Grand and San Juan counties.

• Wisconsin.  USDA has designated 34 counties in Wisconsin as agricultural disaster areas due to losses to maple syrup production caused by an unseasonably early thaw, unseasonably warm nights and excessive heat that occurred Jan. 23 – March 31, 2012.
  • Michigan. The above declaration extends to 4 counties in the state of Michigan.
  • Minnesota. The above declaration also extends to 4 counties in the state of Minnesota.

Related Links

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

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

Disaster Declared in 94 Counties across 4 States

Extreme Weather Events Cause Agricultural Disasters in  Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin

Damage and losses caused by the combined effects of blizzards, excessive snow, excessive heat, excessive rain, high winds, hail, freeze, frost, tornadoes, flooding and lightening that occurred between January 1 and May 11, 2012 prompted USDA to declare disaster in 94 counties across 4 states.

List of the 72 Michigan counties declared Primary Disaster Areas

List of 10 Michigan counties declared Contiguous Disaster Areas

The following 12 counties in Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin have also been designated as disaster areas because they are contiguous.

• Indiana: Elkhart, Lagrange, La Porte, St. Joseph and Steuben counties.
• Ohio: Fulton, Lucas and Williams counties.
• Wisconsin: Florence, Forest, Marinette and Vilas counties.

March Heat, April Freezes

According to a report by the Central Region Climate Response Team, March Heat, April Freezes, March 2012 “was the warmest March on record for 25 states east of the Rockies, and for 15 other states this March ranked among the ten warmest.”

“During the middle of March maximum temperatures were averaging 40 degrees F above normal. Maximum temperatures regularly reached the low and mid 80s
well north into Wisconsin. Many locations broke daily records by more than 20 degrees F.”

However, April 2012 experienced “at least three significant cold air masses” that crept into the Midwest and caused freezing temperatures.

• Iowa. The freeze caused a 50% destruction of the grape crop, about 90% damage to the apple and fruit tree blossoms and caused significant damage to corn and other crops.

• Illinois. The 2012 apple crop in parts of the state was a total loss due to freeze on April 11.
  • “Sweet corn grower in Vermilion County planted sweet corn on March 19. Plants were up a couple of leaves when back‐to‐back freezes hit (26F and 27F), reducing stand by 5,000 plants per acre.
  • “Sleepy Creek Vineyard in Vermilion County reported earliest budding grapevines had 100 percent damage, and others had 80 percent damage.”

• Michigan. “Thousands of acres of this year’s grape crop have been lost across southwest lower Michigan.
  • “A surveyor for National Grape Cooperative, better known as Welch’s Foods, said he went through hundreds of acres before even finding a live bud.  John Jasper estimates more than 10,000 acres were destroyed April 12, mostly in Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties.
  • “Many apple, peach, cherry and blueberry orchards have also had substantial losses across northern Indiana and southern Lower Michigan.”

• Wisconsin.  “Cherry growers in Door County, WI, anticipate losses of 70% …”

• Kentucky.  Frost damaged apples, peaches, pears, plums, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and grapes to varying degrees across the state.
  • “Wheat harvest began two weeks early in Kentucky due to warm weather, but warm temperatures, and then a brief cold snap, have wreaked havoc on the crop’s yield, which some farmers say has been cut nearly in half. Some farmers are getting 12 bu/acre, compared to a normal of 80 bu/acre,” said the report (PDF file).

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

Up-to-date weekly average CO₂ at Mauna Loa

• Week of June 24, 2012:     395.33 ppm
• Weekly value from 1 year ago:     393.50 ppm
• Weekly value from 10 years ago:     375.08 ppm

Recent Mauna Loa CO₂

• May 2012:     396.78 ppm
• May 2011:     394.16 ppm
• May 2002:    375.65 ppm
• May 1962:     321.01 ppm
• [1-year increase: 2.62 ppm; 10-year increase: 21.13 ppm; 50-year increase: 75.77 ppm]

Recent Global CO₂

• April 2012:     394.01 ppm (1-year increase: 2.18 ppm)
• April 2011:     391.83 ppm

New Zealand Earthquake

• A Richter magnitude 7.0 quake struck the Cook Strait, west coast of North Island, NZ, about 100km SSW of New Plymouth and 170 km north-west of Wellington (40.00°S, 173.75°E), at a depth of about 230km on Tuesday, July 3 2012 at 10:36UTC.
  • NO tsunami warning was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
  • NO report of casualties, as of posting.
  • The quake shook Wellington and was felt as far away as the Bay of Plenty and Christchurch, reports said.

U.S. Heat Wave

US Weather Hazards Map, July 3, 2012. “The heat wave continues for a large portion of the central and eastern U.S., with high temperatures this afternoon forecast to be 10-15 degrees above normal. Combined with high levels of humidity, this will create dangerous heat index values as high as 100-110 degrees for locations such as Minneapolis, Chicago, Kansas City and St. Louis,” said NWS.

The core of the record heat in the central United States is forecast to move gradually to the east this week, however heat alerts and heat indices to 105 degrees will continue. “Much of the eastern half of the country will continue to bake under clear skies, high temperatures and a lack of significant rain,” said NOAA forecasters.

Continued relentless heat through most of the week from the Plains to the Atlantic Coast will dominate the weather events.

Current Warnings Prompted by Unrelenting Heat

Red Flag Warnings, Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories issued in parts of 26 states from Wyoming to North Carolina.

Heat Advisories

Heat Advisories are in effect until this evening for parts of the Northern Plains, Ohio Valley and the Southeast:

• North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Ohio, West Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.

Record Daily High Temperatures Nationwide – June 2012

All Time Record High Temperatures Nationwide – June 2012

Mid-Atlantic Derecho

• Death toll has climbed to 22 after the weekend derecho that ravaged the Mid-Atlantic region, with at least 2 million utility customers, or an estimated 7 million people, experiencing power outages amid the continued heat.

Drought Emergency

• Nebraska.  Gov. Heineman has declared a state emergency due to the drought conditions throughout the state of Nebraska.
  • “This declaration is important for continued efforts of state officials to ensure the safety of Nebraskans,” Heineman said. “This action is necessary as dry conditions are presenting an imminent threat to the ability of local governments to respond to drought conditions. Additionally, actions such as haying along the roadsides in Nebraska help with drought conditions.”
  • Nebraska has broken or tied scores of record high temperatures in recent days.
  • Extreme temperatures will continue over central and western Nebraska through at least Friday due to high pressure lingering over the Central Plains, NWS reported.
  • “As excessive heat and dry conditions continue, fire danger is high again today. In addition, isolated thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and evening in north central Nebraska and in the Panhandle. The very dry conditions will continue to make the use of fireworks and even power equipment hazardous.”

Map of U.S. Precipitation (7-day total)

Map of U.S. Precipitation as Percent of Normal (7-day total)

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
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• 2012 Disaster Calendar