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 

Drought Disaster Declared in 26 States

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

• Third of U.S. Corn in Poor or V. Poor Condition Posted on July 11, 2012
• Continental US Experienced Warmest 12 Months in 117 Years Posted  on July 10, 2012
• Drought: State of Emergency Declared in Wisconsin Posted on July 10, 2012
• U.S. Corn Belt Hit by Drought, Heat Wave Posted on July 9, 2012

• Record Heatwave Kills Dozens in U.S. Posted on July 8, 2012
• 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
• States of Emergency Declared in 4 States and DC as Storm Death Toll Rises Posted  on July 1, 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 Posted on January 8, 2012