Posts Tagged ‘Farming in Hell’
Posted by feww on August 5, 2012
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
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
Posted in Global Disaster watch, global disasters, global disasters 2012, global drought, global heating, global Temperature Anomalies, global temperatures | Tagged: 2012 drought, 2012 Drought Disaster, Cleveland County, Creek County, deadly drought, drought 2012, drought disaster, Exceptional drought, Extreme drought, Farming in Hell, Glencoe, Luther, Mannford, Noble, Oklahoma, Oklahoma wildfires, severe Drought, spontaneous combustion, Tulsa wildfires, US precipitation map | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on August 2, 2012
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
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
Posted in Global Disaster watch, global disasters, global disasters 2012, global drought | Tagged: 2012 drought, 2012 Drought Disaster, agricultural disaster area, deadly drought, drought 2012, drought disaster, Exceptional drought, Extreme drought, Farming in Hell, Max Temp Map, severe Drought, U.S. Disaster Areas | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on August 1, 2012
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
Drought Disaster – Recent
Posted in Global Disaster watch, global disasters, global disasters 2012, global drought, Global Food Crisis, global Precipitation | Tagged: 2012 drought, 2012 Drought Disaster, agricultural disaster area, deadly drought, drought 2012, drought disaster, Exceptional drought, Farming in Hell, Max Temp Map, severe Drought, U.S. Disaster Areas | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on July 30, 2012
Major heat wave to continue scorching the Plains
Deadly heat is forecast to continue broiling the Central and Southern Plains through the week ‘with not much relief during the night time hours,’ as National Weather Service issues Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories across the region. Temperatures as high as 110+ degrees are expected this week.
Current High Temperature Map. Temperatures as high as 110+ degrees are forecast for this week.
U.S. Weekly Precipitation Map
U.S. Weekly Precipitation Map, July 22 -28, 2012. Much of the Continental U.S. received little or no rain during the week ending July 28, 2012.
U.S. Hazards Outlook – July 30 to August 10, 2012
US Hazards Outlook for July 30 – August 3, 2012. Source: NOAA/ NWS/NCEP/ CPC
US Hazards Outlook forAugust 4 – 10, 2012. Source: NOAA/ NWS/NCEP/ CPC
Current U.S. Drought Map
Current Map of U.S. Drought 2012. Source: U.S. Drought Portal – NIDIS.
U.S. Daily Highest Max Temperature Records set on July 29, 2012
Temp Records: 12 (Broken) + 8 (Tied) = 20 Total. Source: National Climatic Data Center
Related Links
Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background
Posted in environment, Global Disaster watch, global disasters, global disasters 2012, global drought, global heating, global precipitation patterns, global Temperature Anomalies, global temperatures | Tagged: Central Plains, deadly drought, drought 2012, drought disaster, Farming in Hell, heat disaster, heat wave, Major heat wave, southern Plains, trillion dollar disaster, U.S. Drought Map, U.S. Midsection, US Hazards Outlook, US temps | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on July 20, 2012
Drought 2012 could linger for months
Corn and soybean prices break all-time records. Corn prices have climbed 53 percent in one month, as worst drought and poorest crop conditions in decades decimate yields in the Corn Belt region and beyond.
U.S. Drought Map for July 17, 2012, released July 19.
List of Disaster Areas Continues Growing
On Wednesday, USDA designated an additional 39 counties in 8 states as Primary Natural Disaster areas due to worsening drought, making up a disaster total of 1,297 counties in 29 states. Additionally, several hundred other counties have been declared as contiguous disaster areas.
One Way Drought
Drought is intensifying in the Corn Belt region and creeping to the areas beyond including Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, southern Minnesota and parts of Missouri, Kentucky and the Dakotas.
Drought and Deluge Double Whammy
The historic drought could finally end in an epic deluge, in which case what is already extreme stress on the topsoil would be incalculable.
NASS Crop Production Data. Map of drought superimposed on the corn production areas, July 10, 2012.
Drought Stats
- Nearly two-thirds of Continental U.S. is currently in drought condition
- More than 42 percent of the lower 48 states were in SEVERE, EXTREME or EXCEPTIONAL Drought Conditions (D2-D4) as of July 17, 2012, a rise of over 5 percent since last week.
- As of July 17, 2012, the entire Continental U.S. with the exception of Maine was experiencing Abnormally Dry or Drought Conditions (D0 -D4) in full or in parts of the states, a situation which has since worsened due to scant precipitation and a persistent heat wave in the past few days.
- More than 81 percent of the Contiguous United States was Abnormally Dry or in Drought Conditions (D0 – D4).
- Drought 2012 is considered as the worst drought since 1956 and worst agricultural drought since 1988.
- About 40% of the U.S. corn crop is in poor-very poor condition.
- Good-excellent soybean crop dropped to 34% – down from 56% at start of season.
- Some 1,297 counties in 29 states have been declared as primary natural disaster areas, with several hundred other counties designated as contiguous disaster areas.
- Less than 10 percent topsoil moisture is left in South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.
- Topsoil moisture in the entire Central Region is below 50 percent of normal.
- Drought is expected to persist or intensify across Central Region.
- About 98 percent of corn is grown within Central Region.
- About 80 percent of corn grown in the U.S. is experiencing drought.
Deadly Heat Persists
Meantime, preliminary records from NCDC showed 145 high temperature records broken Wednesday and 67 records tied in 23 states: Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
High temperatures in the triple digits will be the norm for the next several days for parts of the central U.S., with heat indices reaching into the 110 degree range. Some NWS Forecast Offices have already extended their heat advisories to last through the middle of next week. Source: NWS
Daily Max Heat Index Forecast
Latest Related Posts
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background
Posted in global deluge, Global Disaster watch, global disasters, global disasters 2012, global drought, Global Food Crisis, Global Food Shortages, global Precipitation, global precipitation patterns, global Temperature Anomalies, global temperatures | Tagged: Agricultural disaster, agricultural drought, Central Region, corn, Corn Belt, Crop Production Data, drought 2012, drought and deluge, Farming in Hell, FIRE-EARTH warnings, Fukushima, List of Disaster Areas, nepal, Portugal, soybean, Spain, Topsoil moisture, U.S. Disaster Areas, US Drought, US Drought Monitor, US Drought Outlook, Zanzibar | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on July 17, 2012
Serious drought conditions continue to creep across nearly two-thirds of the lower 48 states: USDA
Farmers and ranchers across most of the U.S. have been affected by a string of extreme weather in 2012, as serious drought conditions in the Midwest expands north and west, further worsening the crop conditions and putting even more crops at risk, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported.
“Hot, dry and drought conditions across states from California to Delaware have damaged some crops and slowed development of others.” USDA said in a news release, as the agency’s senior officials prepared to tour “Michigan, Ohio and Indiana—three states affected by severe frost and freezes in the spring, with Indiana now experiencing increasing levels of drought. In the weeks ahead, additional USDA subcabinet leaders will travel to Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and others.”
From a Crisis to a Horror Story
“We’re moving from a crisis to a horror story,” said a Purdue University Professor of Agronomy. “I see an increasing number of fields that will produce zero grain.”
Precipitation
Two-thirds of the Continental U.S. has received less than 1 inch of rain in the last 7 days. See below for 7-day and 90-day total precipitation maps.
Precipitation Map for continental U.S. (7-day total). Source: HPRCC
Precipitation Map for continental U.S. (90-day total). Source: HPRCC
Palmer Drought Index
Based on the Palmer Drought Index, 55 percent of Continental U.S. was under moderate to extreme drought conditions in June, NOAA reported.
Topsoil Moisture Map
U.S. Topsoil Moisture as of July 15, 2012
Corn Crop Condition
Corn conditions have further worsened since last week. The amount of corn rated as FAIR to EXCELLENT conditions have plummeted from 89 percent last year to only 62 percent.
Soybean Condition
Soybean conditions too have further worsened since last week. The amount of soybean rated as FAIR to EXCELLENT conditions have plummeted from 90 percent last year to only 70 percent.
Livestock, Pasture and Range Report
Pasture and range conditions: 24 percent very poor, 30 poor, 28 fair, 16 good, and 2 excellent. The rating was well below 68 percent fair to excellent last year.
U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook (July 5 to September 30, 2012)
Map of Agricultural Disaster Areas in the U.S.
Map of U.S. counties declared as agricultural disaster areas under ‘Streamlined Disaster Designation Process,’ as of July 12, 2012
PRIMARY & CONTIGUOUS COUNTIES designated for 2012 crop disaster losses – As of 07/10/2012 – through Designation No. S3260 (Approved 07/03/2012)
Drought conditions have sparked disaster declarations in about 1,300 counties (1,016 primary, 278 contiguous) across the country, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported.
- U.S. drought has been intensified by the driest June in history and triple-digit temperatures on 10 out of 11 days recently.
- As of last week, Moderate to Extreme drought conditions prevailed in 52.56 percent of the Midwest, and 68.39 percent of the South. Moderate to Exceptional drought conditions covered 73.87% of High Plains, 64.15% of the West and 35.46% of the Southeast.
- The declaration covers 26 states across the country: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wyoming and Hawaii.
Worsening Drought Conditions
- Missouri. Worsening drought throughout Missouri has forced Gov. Nixon to ask the federal authorities for disaster declaration for all of the state’s 114 counties with the exception of independent city of St. Louis.
- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on Wednesday a ‘Streamlined Disaster Designation Process’ a USDA rule change for Secretarial disaster designations that will allow nearly automatically a county to be declared a disaster area once it is categorized by the U.S. Drought Monitor as a severe drought for eight consecutive weeks during the growing season.
Maps of U.S. Hazards Outlook
Map of U.S. Hazards Outlook for July 19 – 23, 2012, showing persistent severe drought.
Map of U.S. Hazards Outlook for July 20 – 26, 2012, showing persistent severe drought.
Map of U.S. Hazards Outlook to July 30, 2012, showing persistent severe drought.
U.S. Drought Comparison Maps for July 3 and July 10, 2012.
U.S. Drought Comparison Maps for June 26 and July 3, 2012
Current U.S. Drought Map – Released July 12, 2012.
Triple digit heat is coming back
Links to Recent Related Entries
Posted in Global Disaster watch, global disasters, global disasters 2012, global drought, Global Food Shortages, Global SST anomalies, global Temperature Anomalies, global temperatures, global water crisis | Tagged: Continetal U.S., Corn Crop Conditions, drought 2012, Farming in Hell, Latest U.S. Drought Map, Map of U.S. Hazards Outlook, Palmer Drought Index, precipitation map, Soybean Crop Conditions, Topsoil Moisture Map, Triple digit heat, U.S. Drought, U.S. Drought Comparison Map, U.S. Drought Conditions, U.S. Drought Outlook, U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook, US od Drought, USDA | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on July 13, 2012
Severe frost and freeze in April, ongoing drought prompt agricultural disaster declarations across 11 states
Losses and damage caused to crops due to severe frost and freeze in April, as well as the ongoing drought across most of the U.S. have prompted USDA to declare agricultural disaster areas in dozens of U.S. counties across 11 states.
- Damage and losses caused by drought that began in April 2012 and continues prompted USDA to issue disaster declaration in
- Arkansas: 30 counties
- Missouri: 6 counties
- Georgia. USDA has designated a total of 30 counties in Georgia as both primary and contiguous natural disaster areas in two separate declaration due to frost, freeze, hail and high winds that occurred in April and May 2012.
- Six counties in North Carolina (4), South Carolina (1) and Tennessee (1), are also designated as disaster areas because they are contiguous.
- Iowa. USDA has designated 43 counties in Iowa as both primary and contiguous natural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by severe frosts and freezes that occurred April 6-30, 2012.
- Nine counties in Illinois (4), Missouri (1), Nebraska (2) and Wisconsin (2) are also designated as disaster areas because they are contiguous.
Map of U.S. Hazards Outlook for July 20 – 26, 2012, showing persistent severe drought.
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
- Japan: Extreme Rain Events. Dozens are dead or missing on Kyushu island in western Japan, after extreme rain events, which began late Wednesday, spawned severe flooding and multiple landslides.
- A record 500 mm of rain fell over a 24-hour period on Aso, Kumamoto prefecture, while scores of homes in neighboring Minami-Aso were destroyed and many more damaged by landslides.
- In Kyushu’s Kumamoto and neighboring Oita prefectures, hourly rainfalls of 106mm were recorded, Japan’s meteorological agency said, while warning of additional rainfall.
- Up to 150,000 people in about 35,000 households were under mandatory evacuation orders.
- Moscow, Russia. Freak storm pounded Moscow, flooding the the historic center of the Russian capital on Friday, said a report.
- At least two people were killed after lightning struck them.
- Further storms could strike throughout the weekend, meteorologist warned.
Black clouds spawned deadly lightning and massive rainstorm over Moscow. Image by twitter user @OksanaGon4arov, via RT.
Links to Recent Related Entries
Posted in Global Disaster watch, global disasters, global disasters 2012, global drought, Global Food Crisis, Global Food Shortages, global ghg emissions, global health catastrophe, global heating, global Precipitation, global precipitation patterns | Tagged: Agri Disaster Area, agricultural disaster area, agricultural disaster areas, crop drought emergency, crop progress, drough damage to crop, Drought, drought disaster, Extreme Rain Events, Farming in Hell, federal disaster area, Federal Disaster Declaration, global food market, Japan flooding, Kyushu island, mandatory evacuation, Map of U.S. Hazards Outlook, Moscow storm, severe Drought, state of emergency, U.S. Corn Belt, U.S. Drought, USDA | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on July 12, 2012
Half of the U.S. declared agricultural disaster area due to worsening drought
Drought conditions have sparked disaster declarations in more than 1,300 counties (1,016 primary, 278 contiguous) across the country, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported.
U.S. drought has been intensified by the driest June in history and triple-digit temperatures on 10 out of 11 days recently.
- As of last week, Moderate to Extreme drought conditions prevailed in 52.56 percent of the Midwest, and 68.39 percent of the South. Moderate to Exceptional drought conditions covered 73.87% of High Plains, 64.15% of the West and 35.46% of the Southeast.
- The declaration covers 26 states across the country: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wyoming and Hawaii.
Map of U.S. counties declared as agricultural disaster areas.
In addition to the 1,016 primary disaster areas, 278 other counties have been designated as contiguous disaster areas (see map above).
[NOTE: There are 3,033 organized county or county-equivalent governments in the U.S. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce –Census Bureau]
U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook (July 5 to September 30, 2012)
Corn Conditions
Thirty percent of the corn in the 18 states that produce most of the U.S. crop is now in poor or very poor condition, up from 22% last week, USDA reported.
- The amount of corn considered to be in excellent or good condition has dropped to 40 percent this week down from 48 percent last week.
- Sixty percent or more of the crop has been rated poor to very poor in Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee.
Corn Condition – Selected States: Week Ending July 8, 2012. The 18 states planted 92% of 2011 acreage. Source: Crop Progress – Released July 9, 2012, by NASS/USDA.
For details of corn and soybean condition see Third of U.S. Corn in Poor or V. Poor Condition Posted on July 11, 2012
- Kansas. A list of 82 Kansas counties that will be declared disaster areas is posted HERE.
Links to Recent Related Entries
Posted in Global Disaster watch, global disasters, global disasters 2012, global drought, Global Food Crisis, Global Food Shortages, global ghg emissions, global health catastrophe, global heating | Tagged: Agri Disaster Area, agricultural disaster areas, Corn Condition, Corn damage report, crop drought emergency, crop progress, drough damage to crop, Drought, drought disaster, Farming in Hell, global food market, Kansas disaster areas, severe Drought, Soybean Condition, state of emergency, U.S. Corn Belt, U.S. Drought, USDA | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on July 11, 2012
Corn and soybean prices surge following USDA report on extent of damage to crops
Thirty percent of the corn in the 18 states that produce most of the U.S. crop is now in poor or very poor condition, up from 22% last week, USDA reported.
The amount of corn considered to be in excellent or good condition has dropped to 40 percent this week down from 48 percent last week.
Sixty percent or more of the crop has been rated poor to very poor in Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee.
Corn Condition – Selected States: Week Ending July 8, 2012. The 18 states planted 92% of 2011 acreage. Source: Crop Progress – Released July 9, 2012, by NASS/USDA.
Poor, Incomplete Kernel Set. Poor pollination of ear due to asynchronous pollen shed and silking (poor “nick”) due to severe drought and high temperatures; inadequate pollen supply due to uneven crop development, herbicides, insect feeding and silk clipping. Phosphorus shortages also interfere with pollination. Late applications of Lightning on Clearfield corn. Source: OSU-Extension. Image may be subject to copyright.
Corn futures surged 37 cents to $7.74 per bushel in afternoon trading Monday, up by more than $1 in a week.
Soybean Crop
The damage report also drove up soybean prices to a new record on Monday. Prices peaked at $16.79 per bushel before closing at $16.65, up 45 cents.
The USDA reported that 27 percent of soybeans were in poor or very poor condition in the 18 states that grow 95 percent of the crop, up 5 percent from last week.
Only 40 percent of the soybean crop was rated in good or excellent condition, down from 45 percent last week.
Soybean Condition – Selected States: Week Ending July 8, 2012. Source: Crop Progress – Released July 9, 2012, by NASS/USDA.
Chain Reaction
The poor crops in the U.S., world’s top producer of corn (maize) and soybean, will cause a chain reaction in the global food market, dictating higher prices across the board including beef, chicken, pork, eggs, milk, bread, and causing global food crisis …
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Posted in environment, Global Disaster watch, global disasters, global disasters 2012, global drought, Global Food Crisis, Global food prices, Global Food Shortages, global ghg emissions, global health catastrophe | Tagged: Agri Disaster Area, Corn Condition, Corn damage report, crop drought emergency, crop progress, drough damage to crop, Farming in Hell, global food market, Soybean Condition, state of emergency | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on July 10, 2012
Contiguous U.S. 2 degrees warmer in June than 20th century average
Temperature Chart for Contiguous U.S. (January-June 1895-2012; 6-month average). Source: NOAA/NCDC
Scorching temperatures during the second half of June led to more than 170 all-time high temperature records broken or tied, NOAA reported.
Contiguous U.S. Temperature, July-June 1896-2012; 12-month average (year, temperature) – Source: NOAA/NCDC
- The average temperature for the contiguous U.S. was 71.2°F last month, which is 2.0°F above the 20th century June average.
- The July 2011-June 2012 period was the warmest of any 12-months on record for the contiguous U.S.
- The average temperature for the U.S. was 56.0°F, or 3.2°F above the long term average for the 12-month period, with every state across the contiguous U.S. experiencing warmer than average temperatures, except Washington, which was near normal.
- Precipitation total of 2.27 inches (national average), were 0.62 inch below long-term average.
- “Temperatures in South Carolina (113°F) and Georgia (112°F) are currently under review by the U.S. State Climate Extremes Committee as possible all-time statewide temperature records,” NOAA reported.
- Colorado experienced its warmest June on record, with a statewide temperature of 6.4°F above average.
- As of July 3, 76.33 percent of the contiguous U.S. was Abnormally Dry or in Drought, with about 56.0 percent of the contiguous U.S. experiencing D1 – D4 drought conditions, marking the largest percentage of the country experiencing drought conditions since the U.S. Drought Monitor began over 12 years ago.
- “Drought conditions worsened across much of the West, Central Plains, and the Ohio Valley, causing significant impacts on agriculture in those regions.” (see previous posts for details).
- A list of select June temperature and precipitation records is posted here.
U.S. Drought Map. Released July 5, 2012
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Posted in Global Disaster watch, global disasters, global disasters 2012, global drought | Tagged: all-time high temperature records, Contiguous U.S. Temperature, Continental US, drought 2012, drought and deluge, drought crop conditions, Droughts, Extreme Rain Events, Farming in Hell, June temperature, record heat, Record high temperatures, record temperatures, Temperature Chart for Contiguous U.S., U.S. Heat, Warmest 12 Months, warmest 12-month period | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on July 10, 2012
Drought conditions prompt Wisconsin Gov to declare a state of emergency in 42 southern and central counties
Drought has hit plants during the most vulnerable time in their growing cycle, killing their pollen.
“The lack of rainfall since May in the southern half of the state has hit hard in a crucial part of the growing season,” Walker said in a statement. “Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service reports this week that most of the land in these counties is short or very short of soil moisture.”
- With 78,000 farms across the state, Wisconsin is the nation’s top producer of cranberries, oats and snap peas and is among the top-five producing states of potatoes, maple syrup, sweet corn, green peas, cucumbers for pickles, and other crops, said Wisconsin Department of Agriculture.
- The state is also home to about 13,000 dairy farms with an average of 100 cows.
- All counties in the southern half of the state are affected.
U.S. Drought Map. Released July 5, 2012
Links to Recent Related Entries
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
- China. Epic flooding and massive landslides spawned by extreme rain events have buried parts of 8 provinces in China affecting about 20 million people. Deaths, destruction and evacuations are occurring in Jiangsu, Anhui and Shandong provinces in east China, Henan and Hubei provinces in central China, Chongqing Municipality and Sichuan Province in southwest China and Shaanxi Province in northwest China,Xinhua reported. The official weekly toll currently stands at:
- Dead or missing: 100 people
- Displaced: 1.17 million people
- Houses destroyed: 66,000
- Destroyed or damaged crops: 982,400 hectares
- A mile-wide landslide in Sichuan province is currently burying everything in it path, threatening to block rivers and cause additional disasters.
- More than 113.36 million people, about 9 percent of the China’s population, have been affected by natural disasters (floods, hail and landslides has had the greatest impact, followed by droughts, earthquakes, snowstorms and typhoons), with at least 465 dead and and 97 missing in the first half of this year, the report said.
Posted in Global Disaster watch, global disasters, global disasters 2012, global drought, Global Food Crisis, Global Food Shortages, global ghg emissions, global health catastrophe | Tagged: China, drought 2012, drought crop conditions, Droughts, Extreme Rain Events, Farming in Hell, flooding, Gov Walker, grain crops, hail, landslides, snowstorms, Typhoons, U.S. Drought, U.S. Drought Outlook, Wisconsin, Wisconsin drought, Wisconsin state of emergency | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on July 9, 2012
Half million salmon to be destroyed due to infectious salmon anemia
An outbreak of infectious salmon anemia at a fish farm near Conne River in Newfoundland and Labrador has been confirmed by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
The operators, Gray Aqua Group, have been ordered to destroy more than 450,000 salmon. They claim the virus is being contained to one site.
In March, CFIA ordered a Nova Scotia fish farm outside Shelburne Harbour to destroy hundreds of thousands of salmon following a similar outbreak.
Last month, another outbreak was suspected in Nova Scotia, but the tests were said to be ‘inconclusive.’
“Outbreaks of infectious salmon anemia in New Brunswick in the late 1990s dealt a blow to the aquaculture industry there at the time and the federal government provided tens of millions of dollars in compensation,” said a report.
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
- U.S. Corn Belt. Drought and heat wave are affecting production of grain crops in the U.S. Corn Belt. Iowa and Illinois, which produce about 35% of the U.S. corn and soybeans, are particularly hard hit.
- Drought conditions, have intensified since last week across the U.S. (see comparison map below) and already caused irrevocable damage to crops in southern Illinois, Indiana and Missouri.
- “By Sunday or Monday, if we don’t get rain here, we will be losing anywhere between 7 to 9 percent of our yield potential,” said Roger Elmore, corn agronomist at Iowa State University in Ames. “If it drags on into next week, it is going to be worse.”
- Abnormally Dry and Drought Conditions (D0 – D4) currently prevail in 76.33% of the contiguous United States, the largest area than at any other time since the U.S. Drought Monitor began more than 12 years ago.
U.S. Drought Map. Released July 5, 2012
‘Farming in Hell’
- As of July 1, crops were in the worst condition since 1988, as the Midwest heat wave last week set or tied nearly 1,100 temperature records.
- “The drought is much worse than last year and approaching the 1988 disaster. There are crops that won’t make it. The dairy and livestock industries are going to get hit very hard. People are just beginning to realize the depth of the problem,” according to the CEO of Rochester, Prairie Mills Products LLC, an Indiana-based grain processor.
- The persistent drought has hit plants during the most vulnerable time in their growing cycle, killing their pollen.
- “Corn yields were falling five bushels a day during the past week” in the worst-affected parts of the Midwest, said Fred Below, a plant biologist at the University of Illinois in Urbana. “You couldn’t choreograph worse weather conditions for pollination. It’s like farming in hell.”
Krasnodar region, Russia.
- At least 171 lives have been lost in the devastating flooding and landslides in in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, reported RT.
- 17 others have been reported as missing.
- “Some 584 people, 83 children among them, have sought medical aid following the flood. Medics have hospitalized 159 people, including sixteen children.”
- At least 3,000 have been evacuated.
- About 35,000 people have been affected by the disaster.
Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background
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Fire Earth 