Deadly Wildfires Consume 2 Million Acres in 4 States

Massive wildfires destroy tens of thousands of cattle, other farm animals in Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas

• At least 6 people have been killed and six others injured as fires engulfed multiple ranches destroying or damaging dozens of properties.
• Significant cattle losses have been reported in the disaster zone.
• Red-flag warnings are in effect across parts of Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska due to critical wildfire conditions, the National Weather Service reported.

 

Oklahoma Governor Declares State of Emergency in 10 New Counties

Wildfires converge; consume 60k acres in Kansas, Oklahoma; hundreds evacuated

Multiple wildfires raging across Kansas and Oklahoma have destroyed tens of thousands of acres (hectares). Four major blazes converged to form massive fire on Wednesday, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents from a small town in Oklahoma.

Dubbed the 350 Complex Fire, the blaze has blackened about 60,000 acres (243 km²), as of posting.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin declares state of emergency in 10 additional counties affected by wildfires.

The 10 counties covered by the executive order are Alfalfa, Blaine, Creek, Dewey, Garfield, Grant, Harper, Logan, Major and Woodward.

Fallin proclaimed a state of emergency in Woods County in March, which remains in effect in that county.

A large wildfire in northwestern Oklahoma was zero percent contained on Wednesday, but firefighters reportedly prevents the blaze from destroying the small town of Freedom, or engulfing an iodine-manufacturing plant.

In the neighboring state of Kansas, “rapid outbreak of wildfires” in the northeast prompted the governor to issue a state disaster declaration for Wabaunsee, Riley, and Pottawatomie Counties. The counties had separately declared local states of disaster emergency, earlier.

Brownback had earlier declared a State of Disaster Emergency for an area in south central Kansas threatened by major wildfires that spread into Kansas from Oklahoma.

Red Flag Warnings are currently in effect across most or parts of at least six states.

April 7, 2016. [The following fire stats are based on NIFC data and local media reports.] At least 26 new large fires have been reported across the U.S. since March 25. In Oklahoma, six large fires have burned up to 425,000 acres. Other states with uncontained large fires include Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Wildfires destroying more acres than ever before

Wildfire Stats [NOAA]

• In March, 6,324 fires (9th least since 2000) burned 649,511 acres (2nd most on record), which is 102.7 acres burned/fire (most on record).

• For January – March, 9,218 fires (5th least since 2000) burned 776,132 acres (2nd most on record), which is 84.2 acres burned/fire (2nd most on record).

Data Source: The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC).

NOTE: See previous comments posted on this blog concerning quality of data provided by the above source.

State of Disaster Declared in Kansas amid Wildfires

Wildfires burn across 75,000 acres from Oklahoma to Kansas

Gov Brownback has declared a state of disaster emergency for parts of south-central Kansas as wildfires continue to threaten about 1,000 homes and businesses.

The so called Anderson Creek Fire has consumed about 75,00 acres since Tuesday night near the Kansas border in Woods County, Oklahoma. The blaze has since spread into Barber and Comanche counties in Kansas, NWS reported.

The fire is now threatening residents of Medicine Lodge in Barber County, according to the mayor, who has called for voluntary evacuations of the town’s 2,000 residents.

Meanwhile, the federal authorities have proclaimed a Management Assistance Declaration for the Anderson Creek Fire (FM-5120).

 

Crop Disasters Declared in Kansas

7 Counties in Kansas designated as crop disaster areas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared 7 counties in the state of Kansas as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rain, high winds, and hail that occurred on Sept. 10, 2015.

Those areas are Barton, Ellsworth, Pawnee, Rice, Rush, Stafford and Russell counties.

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas on Dec. 2, 2015.

Related Links

• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Michigan and Ohio November 26, 2015

M4.4 Quake Strikes near Medford, Oklahoma

More earthquakes strike Oklahoma

The largest of five earthquake to strike Oklahoma, and the Kansas border area, in a 12-hour period to 09:20:43 UTC today, measured 4.4Mw.

Centered at 36.707°N, 97.906°W (about 18km SW of Medford, Oklahoma) the quake occurred at a depth of 6.4 km, reported USGS/EHP.

At least 153 earthquakes measuring ≥ 2.5Mw have occurred in the State of Oklahoma and the Kansas border area in the past 30 days.

Related Links

• Oklahoma Hit by Another Significant Earthquake July 28, 2015
• Super Clusters of Low-Level Seismicity Could Swamp Oklahoma July 15, 2015
• Rate of Earthquakes Rattling Oklahoma Increases June 12, 2015

 

Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in 9 States, USVI

UPDATED

Extreme Weather Events destroy crops in 193 U.S. counties

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 30 counties in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma as crop disaster areas in two separate disaster designations due to damages and losses caused by multiple disasters that occurred in 2015.

USDA Kansas Crop Disaster Designation # 1: The following 13 counties in Kansas and Nebraska have been designated as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by drought, winter kill and insect infestation that occurred on Jan. 1, 2015, and continues.

• Kansas: Ellis, Graham, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Norton, Osborne, Phillips, Rooks, Russell and Smith counties.
• Nebraska: Franklin and Harlan counties.

USDA Kansas Crop Disaster Designation # 2:  The following 17 counties in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma have been designated as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by tornadoes, excessive rain, high winds, flooding and hail that occurred from April 15, 2015, through July 14, 2015.

• Kansas: Atchison, Brown, Clark, Doniphan, Finney, Ford, Gray, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Meade and Seward counties.
• Missouri: Buchanan and Platte counties.
• Oklahoma: Beaver County.

USDA Missouri Crop Disaster Designation

USDA has designated 162 counties in Missouri and the eight surrounding states as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rainfall and flooding that occurred from March 1, 2015, and continues. Those counties are:

Missouri: Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Audrain, Barry, Barton, Bates, Benton, Bollinger, Boone, Buchanan, Butler, Caldwell, Callaway, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carroll, Carter, Cass, Cedar, Chariton, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cole, Cooper, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Daviess, DeKalb, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, Gentry, Greene, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Holt, Howard, Iron, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Laclede, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Madison, Maries, Marion, McDonald, Mercer, Miller, Mississippi, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, New Madrid, Newton, Nodaway, Oregon, Osage, Pemiscot, Perry, Pettis, Phelps, Pike, Platte, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Ray, Reynolds, Ripley, Saline, Schuyler, Scotland, Scott,  Shannon, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, St. Louis, St. Louis City, Ste. Genevieve, Stoddard, Stone, Sullivan, Texas, Vernon, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Worth and Wright counties.

• Arkansas: Benton, Carroll, Clay, Craighead, Greene, Mississippi, and Randolph counties.
  
• Illinois: Adams, Alexander, Calhoun, Hancock, Jackson, Jersey, Madison, Monroe, Pike, Randolph, St. Clair and Union counties.
• Iowa: Appanoose, Davis, Decatur, Fremont, Lee, Page, Ringgold, Taylor, Van Buren and Wayne counties.
• Kansas: Atchison, Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Doniphan, Johnson, Leavenworth, Linn, Miami and Wyandotte counties.
• Kentucky: Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton and Hickman counties.
• Nebraska: Nemaha, Otoe and Richardson counties.
• Oklahoma: Delaware and Ottawa counties.
• Tennessee: Dryer and Lake counties.

USDA Designates St. Croix County in the U.S. Virgin Islands as a Primary Natural Disaster Area

USDA has also designated St. Croix County in the U.S. Virgin Islands as crop disaster area due to damages and losses caused by drought that occurred on April 1, 2015, and continues.

All of the counties listed above were designated crop disaster areas by USDA on August 26, 2015.

U.S. Drought Monitor – Weekly Comparison: CONUS

Week	None	D0-D4	D1-D4	D2-D4	D3-D4	D4
2015-08-18	54.76	45.24	29.40	18.21	9.41	3.00
2015-08-11	56.13	43.87	28.92	17.87	9.18	3.00

Total U.S.

Week	None	D0-D4	D1-D4	D2-D4	D3-D4	D4
2015-08-18	50.51	49.49	27.92	15.26	7.88	2.51
2015-08-11	51.65	48.35	27.52	14.97	7.69	2.51

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

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 2,240 counties, county equivalents and municipalities, across 34 States [as well as Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands]: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, 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 Destroys More Crops in Florida, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Puerto Rico August 20, 2015
• Extreme Weather Events Destroy Crops in Ten States and Puerto Rico August 13, 2015
• Drought destroys crops in 5 states and Puerto Rico August 6, 2015
• Extreme Weather Events Destroy Crops in 10 States July 30, 2015
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Federal Disaster Declared for Kansas

Kansas Declared Major Disaster Area

Kansas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (DR-4230)

The Disaster President has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Kansas in the areas affected by severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding during the period of May 4 to June 21, 2015. 

The areas that were worst affected by the extreme weather events include the following 42 counties: Atchison, Barton, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Cowley, Doniphan, Edwards, Elk, Ellsworth, Franklin, Gray, Greenwood, Harper, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Miami, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, Pottawatomie, Republic, Rice, Stevens, Sumner, Wabaunsee, and Washington.

Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the territory and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

This is the 26th Major Disaster Declaration [DR 4205-4230] proclaimed for a U.S. state/territory, so far this year. Additionally, the federal government has issued five Fire Management Assistance Declarations for the year to date, as of posting.

Fire Management Assistance Declarations (2015)

[5089] 07/20/2015 California North Fire
[5088] 07/06/2015 Idaho Cape Horn Fire
[5087] 06/29/2015 Washington Sleepy Hollow Fire
[5086] 06/17/2015 Arizona Kearney River Fire
[5085] 06/16/2015 Alaska Card Street Fire
[5084] 06/15/2015 Alaska Sockeye Fire

Related Links

• Federal Disaster Declared for Colorado [DR-4228] July 19, 2015
• Federal Disaster Declared for Louisiana [DR-4228] July 14, 2015
• Major Disaster Declared for Wyoming  [DR-4227] July 8, 2015
• Major Disaster Declared for Arkansas [DR-4226] June 29, 2015
• Major Disaster Declared for Nebraska [DR-4225] June 26, 2015
• Major Disaster Declared for West Virginia – (WV’s 4th major disaster in 2 months) [DR-4221] May 22, 2015
• Federal Disaster Declarations
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Crop Disasters Declared in 4 States

Drought and freeze destroy crops in 27 counties across four states

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 27 additional counties across four states—Georgia, Kansas, Oklahoma and Utah—as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by drought and freeze.

Crop disasters caused by drought occurred in the following areas:

• Kansas. Chautauqua, Crowley, Elk and Montgomery counties.
• Oklahoma. Osage and Washington counties.
• Utah. Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Grand, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevie, Utah, Uintah and Wayne counties.

Crop disasters caused by freeze occurred in the following areas:

• Georgia. Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Peach, Schley, Talbot, Taylor and Upson counties.

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least an 1,198 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 May 20, 2015 and posted on their website in three separate declarations.

Related Links

• Drought Destroys More Crops in CO, ID, OR, TX, UT May 14, 2015
• Drought Destroys more Crops in ID, NV, OR, UT May 7, 2015
• Federal Disasters
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Crop Drought Disaster Continues to Spread in U.S. South, Midwest

UPDATED

Drought destroys more crops in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas

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

The drought disaster designations are for the following areas:

• Kansas.Barber, Butler, Chautauqua,Cowley, Elk, Harper, Kingman, Pratt, Reno, Sedgwick and Sumner counties.
• Oklahoma. Kay and Osage counties.
• Texas. 23 counties including  Brown, Callahan, McCulloch, Menard, Mills and Taylor counties.
  Also: Coleman, Comanche, Concho, Eastland, Fisher, Hamilton, Jone, Kimble, Lampasas, Mason, Nolan, Runnels, San Saba, Schleicher, Shackelford, Sutton and Tom Green counties.

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least an 1,061 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 15, 2015 and posted on USDA website on April 11, 2015 in a  separate declarations.

California Drought Update (U.S. Drought Monitor)

Week	None	D0-D4	D1-D4	D2-D4	D3-D4	D4
2015-04-14	0.14	99.86	98.11	93.44	66.6	44.32
2015-04-07	0.15	99.85	98.11	93.44	66.6	44.32

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

Related Links

• Drought Crop Disaster Declared in Texas April 12, 2015
• Drought Destroys Crops in CA, OR, ID, UT, AZ and NV April 9, 2015
• Federal Disasters
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Drought Crop Disasters Declared in 10 U.S. States

Crop Disasters Declared for 69  Counties in 10 States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated a total of 69 additional counties in 10 states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah—as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by drought.

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 863 counties across 16 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.

All 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 February 25, 2015.

Related Links

• Drought Disaster Declared in AZ, CA, NV, TX, UT February 26, 2015
• Drought destroys or damages crops in 15 counties across two states February 24, 2015
• Drought Disaster Declared for VA, WV Counties January 30, 2015
• Crop Disasters Declared for 220 Counties in 3 States January 8, 2015
• Federal Disasters
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Drought Disaster Declared in 12 States

UPDATED February 7, 2015

RAPID CLIMATE CHANGE
EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC DISASTERS
DROUGHT
MULTIPLE CROP DISASTERS
SCENARIOS  900, [500,] 444, 117, 111, 100, 067, 03, 02
.

Drought destroys or damages crops in 504 counties across 12 states

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated a total of 504 countiesⁱⁱⁱ in 12 states as crop disaster areas due to losses and damages caused by drought.

Those designations are for:

Arizona (20 counties/disaster designations), California (68 disaster designations, which cover ALL of the state’s 58 counties), Colorado (36), Idaho (9), Kansas (54), Nebraska (1), Nevada (28 designations, which cover ALL of the state’s 16 counties and Carson City), New Mexico (27), Oklahoma (77), Oregon (7), Texas (154) and Utah (22).

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 731 countiesⁱⁱⁱ across 14 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.

All of the 2015 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 February 4, 2015.

Related Links

• Drought Disaster Declared for VA, WV Counties January 30, 2015
• Crop Disasters Declared for 220 Counties in 3 States January 8, 2015
• Crop Disasters Declared in 3 States December 25, 2014
• Federal Disasters
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Earthquakes Rattle Oklahoma, Kansas

Another swarm of earthquakes strikes Oklahoma, Kansas

A cluster of at least 11 earthquakes have struck Oklahoma and the border area with neighboring state of Kansas in the past 24 hours, according to data posted by USGS/EHP.

The largest quake in the cluster measured 4.3Mw and was centered at 36.848°N, 97.699°W.

• M4.2, 21km SSE of Medford, Oklahoma 2015-01-27 15:58:40 UTC depth = 2.1km
• M3.8, 3km SSE of Perry, Oklahoma 2015-01-27 11:31:10 UTC depth = 3.7km
• M3.4, 6km NW of Caldwell, Kansas 2015-01-27 07:38:05 UTC depth = 4.8km
• M2.9, 11km S of Caldwell, Kansas 2015-01-27 05:44:22 UTC depth = 5.0km
• M3.1, 7km NW of Caldwell, Kansas 2015-01-27 05:28:53 UTC depth = 4.6km
• M2.6, 11km S of Caldwell, Kansas 2015-01-27 05:02:30 UTC depth = 5.0km
• M2.4, 5km SSW of Guthrie, Oklahoma 2015-01-27 02:22:03 UTC depth = 7.5km
• M3.0, 29km W of Helena, Oklahoma 2015-01-26 23:46:23 UTC depth = 2.7km
• M3.3, 5km S of Guthrie, Oklahoma 2015-01-26 21:45:13 UTC depth = 5.0km
• M4.3, 5km NE of Medford, Oklahoma 2015-01-26 19:30:44 UTC depth = 6.6km
• M2.5, 18km S of Perry, Oklahoma 2015-01-26 18:03:17 UTC depth = 8.3km

 

Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Five States

DISASTERS CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
DROUGHT
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
FLASH FLOODING
HIGH WINDS
HAIL
CROP DISASTERS
SCENARIOS  560, 477, 444, 178, 111, 100, 027, 025, 03, 02
.

Crop Disasters Declared for 41 Counties across Five States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared crop disasters in 41 counties across five states—Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Nebraska,Texas—due to the losses and damage caused by extreme weather and climatic events.

Crop disasters caused by drought

• Texas: Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, Hunt, Rains and Wood counties.
• Alabama: Clay, Cleburne, Chambers, Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, Lee, Macon, Randolph, Shelby,Talladega and Tallapoosa counties.
• Georgia: Carroll, Heard and Troup counties.

Crop disasters caused by excessive rain, flash flooding, high winds and hail that occurred from Aug. 9, 2014, through Oct. 2, 2014

• Kansas:  Brown, Clay, Cloud, Jackson, Jewell, Lincoln, Marshall, Mitchell, Nemah,Osborne, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Republic, Riley and Washington counties.
• Nebraska, Gage, Jefferson, Pawnee, Richardson and Thayer counties.

Crop Disasters 2014

Beginning January 10, 2014 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 2,768 counties across 41 states. Most of those designations are due to  drought.

Those states are

• Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, 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 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 October 22, 2014.

Latest/ Recent Crop Disaster Declarations

• Drought Destroys Crops in Five States November 21, 201
• Drought Destroys Crops in Georgia, Florida October 17, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in Five States October 10, 2014
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in New England October 4, 2014
• Multiple Crop Disasters Occur in 11 States October 3, 2014
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in 10 States September 25, 2014
• Drought Crop Disasters Declared in U.S. West  September 18, 2014
• FREEZE Destroys Crops in Ohio, Pennsylvania  September 18, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in Five States September 12, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in Six States Posted on September 5, 2014
• Federal Disasters
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

 

M4.8 Quake Strikes Southern Kansas

SEISMIC HAZARD
HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
SCENARIOS 700, [500,] 08, 07, 02
.

Significant Kansas quake felt throughout the state, neighboring Oklahoma

Centered at 37.275°N, 97.616°W, about 52km (32mi) SSW of Wichita, Kansas, the quake occurred at a predictable shallow depth of 2.9km.

Local media have reported structural damage to buildings in Wichita.

EQ Details

Magnitude: 4.8Mw
Event Time: 2014-11-12 21:40:00 UTC
Location: 37.275°N, 97.616°W depth=2.9km (1.8mi)
Nearby Cities:

• 13km (8mi) S of Conway Springs, Kansas
• 39km (24mi) SW of Haysville, Kansas
• 42km (26mi) SW of Derby, Kansas
• 52km (32mi) SSW of Wichita, Kansas
• 200km (124mi) N of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Source: USGS/EHP

Intense Seismicity Continues in N. Nevada

Meantime, a magnitude 4.9 quake struck northern Nevada. The area has been rattled by at at least 32 additional shocks, with 17 quakes measuring ≥2.5Mw in the past 24 hours,  bringing the the total number of the quakes measuring  ≥2.5Mw near Bald Mountain to at least 174 since October 23, 2014.

EQ Details

Magnitude: 4.9Mw
Event Time: 2014-11-13 06:36:07 UTC
Location: 41.890°N 119.621°W depth=0.2km (0.2mi)
Nearby Cities

• 63km (39mi) ESE of Lakeview, Oregon
• 173km (107mi) E of Altamont, Oregon
• 177km (110mi) E of Klamath Falls, Oregon
• 184km (114mi) NNE of Susanville, California
• 304km (189mi) N of Carson City, Nevada

[NOTE: USGS/EHP has upgraded the reported magnitude of the above event from 4.5 to 4.7, 4.8 and 4.9Mw, as of posting at 07:10 UTC. Editor]

Four of the largest quakes in the ongoing seismicity so far measured 4.6 to 4.9Mw striking at shallow depths near Bald Mountain.

• 4.9Mw strikes 63km ESE of Lakeview, Oregon 2014-11-13 at 06:36:07 UTC at a depth of 0.2 km
• 4.7Mw strikes 67km ESE of Lakeview, Oregon 2014-11-07 at 08:05:54 UTC at a depth of 0.0 km
• 4.7Mw strikes 68km ESE of Lakeview, Oregon 2014-11-06 at 08:34:46 UTC at a depth of 5.3 km
• 4.6Mw strikes 63km ESE of Lakeview, Oregon 2014-11-05 at 07:23:04 UTC at a depth of 0.1 km

Nevada EQ Location Map. Source: USGS/EHP

Amended EQ Location Map. Source: USGS/EHP

Some 194 earthquakes of all magnitudes have struck the U.S. (includes Alaska and Hawaii) in the past 24 hours, according to the USGS data.

Related Links

• M4.1 Quake Strikes Near Perkins, Oklahoma November 10, 2014
• Nevada Quake Swarm Intensifies November 6, 2014
• Earthquake Swarm Rattles N. Nevada November 5, 2014

Significant Quakes Strike Kansas, Oklahoma, Iceland

 

Kansas Shaken by Magnitude 4.1 Quake

Centered at 37.239°N, 97.967°W the event occurred at a signature depth of 5.6km (3.5mi).

Earthquake Details [USGS/EHP]

Magnitude: 4.1Mw
Event Time: 2014-09-30 @ 14:55:04 UTC
Location: 37.239°N 97.967°W depth=5.6km (3.5mi)
Nearby Cities

• 7km (4mi) SE of Harper, Kansas
• 65km (40mi) WSW of Haysville, Kansas
• 70km (43mi) WSW of Derby, Kansas
• 75km (47mi) SW of Wichita, Kansas
• 200km (124mi) NNW of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

M4.1 quake strikes near Perry, Oklahoma

The largest of 4 earthquakes to strike Oklahoma so far today measured 4.1Mw, occurring at depth of 5.0km (3.1mi) about 24km (15mi) WSW of Perry, Oklahoma, reported USGS/EHP.

At least 419 quakes measuring 3.0 or greater have struck Oklahoma over the last 365 days.

Earthquake Details [USGS/EHP]

Magnitude: 4.1Mw
Event Time: 2014-09-30 @ 03:01:26 UTC
Location: 36.232°N 97.556°W depth=5.0km (3.1mi)
Nearby Cities

• 24km (15mi) WSW of Perry, Oklahoma
• 34km (21mi) ESE of Enid, Oklahoma
• 40km (25mi) NNW of Guthrie, Oklahoma
• 46km (29mi) WNW of Stillwater, Oklahoma
• 84km (52mi) N of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 M5.5 shock rattles Bardarbunga volcano, Iceland

Centered at 64.612°N, 17.361°W the quake struck at a depth of 5.6 km about 8.5km  ESE of Bárðarbunga volcano, said Iceland Meteorological Office (IMO).

The quake was the largest to strike Iceland in recent days.

 

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecasts

For detailed earthquake forecasts tune into FIRE-EARTH Reports daily @ 06:32UTC.

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Related Links

•  U.S.
  The 837th Quake Strikes Oklahoma in 2014 August 9, 2014
• Intense Seismicity Resumes in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oklahoma Posted on July 13, 2014
• Earthquakes Strike California, New York, Oklahoma… Posted on July 6, 2014

Iceland

• Significant Quakes Strike Iceland September 28, 2014
• Significant Earthquake Strikes Bardarbunga System August 31, 2014
• Red Alert as Bardarbunga Volcano Erupts August 23, 2014
• Thousands of tremors recorded near Bárðarbunga volcano August 20, 2014
• Seismic activity – last 48 hours + 3D Map of the Tremors
• Bárðarbunga Webcam

Crop Disasters Declared in Five States

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC HAZARDS
DROUGHT
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS (ERE)
HIGH WINDS
HAIL STORM
FROST
CROP DISASTERS
SCENARIOS 900,  888, 444, 178, 177, 111, 064, 03, 02
.

Drought, Frost, ERE and Winds destroy crops in five states

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated a total of 26 counties in five states–Texas, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Mexico and Kansas–as crop disaster areas due to losses caused by drought, frost, extreme rain events and high winds.

Drought Disaster Areas

A total of 9 counties in Texas and one county in New Mexico have been designated as crop disaster areas due to ongoing drought.

• Texas: Crane, Winkler, Andrews, Ector, Pecos, Ward, Crockett, Loving and Upton counties.
• New Mexico: Lea County

Drought & Frost Disaster Areas

11 Counties in Kansas and Nebraska have been declared crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by drought and frost that occurred during the period of January 1, 2014, and continuing.

• Kansas: Republic, Washington, Clay, Cloud, Jewell, Marshall and Riley counties.
• Nebraska: Gage, Jefferson, Nuckolls and Thayer counties.

Excessive Rain and Winds Disaster Areas

USDA has designated five counties in North Carolina as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rain and winds that occurred on July 3, 2014.

• North Carolina: Pamlico, Beaufort, Carteret, Craven and Hyde counties.

Crop Disasters 2014

Beginning January 10, 2014 USDA has declared at least 2,315 separate crop disasters across 35 states. Most of those designations are due to the ongoing drought.

• Those states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Washington, 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 total number of counties designated as agricultural disaster areas includes both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

iii. Counties may have been designated 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 September 10, 2014.

Crop Disaster Links

• Crop Disasters Declared in Six States Posted on September 5, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in Three States August 15, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in 7 States August 7, 2014
• Federal Disasters
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

 

Drought Spells More Crop Disasters for Five States

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
WORSENING DROUGHT
MULTIPLE CROP DISASTERS
SCENARIO 03
.

Drought Crop Disasters Declared in 39 Counties across 5 States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 39 counties across five states as crop disaster areas due to drought. USDA issued four separate designations for crop disasters on May 21, 2014.

Drought disaster designations are for the following states:

• Oklahoma: Craig (2 designations), Marshall, Nowata (2 designations), Rogers, Bryan, Delaware, Love, Ottawa, Carter, Johnston,  Mayes,  Tulsa, Wagoner and Washington counties.

• Kansas: Labette (2 designations), Cherokee (2 designations),  Crawford,  Montgomery (2 designations),  Neosho, Cheyenne and Rawlins counties.

• Texas: Delta, Fannin, Hopkins, Lamar, Franklin, Hunt, Red River and Grayson counties.

• Colorado: Yuma County.

• Nebraska: Dundy, Chase, Hayes and Hitchcock counties.

Drought Disasters 2014

Beginning January 10, 2014 USDA has declared at least 1,757 separate crop disasters across 24  states. Most of those designations are due to the worsening drought.

• Those states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Washington. [FIRE-EARTH has documented all of the above listings.]

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

ii. The total number of counties designated as agricultural disaster areas includes both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

iii. Counties may have been designated 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 My 21, 2014.

California Drought Disasters

• California’s Snow Story: Going, Going … May 21, 2014
• Severe – Exceptional Drought Plague 100% of California  May 16, 2014

Related Links

• Crop Disasters Declared in 11 States May 16, 2014
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Crop Disasters Declared in 11 States

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
WORSENING DROUGHT
FREEZE
MULTIPLE CROP DISASTERS
SCENARIOS 03, 177
.

Drought, Freeze Cause Crop Disasters in 182 Counties across 11 States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 182 counties across 11 states as crop disaster areas due to drought and freeze. The USDA issued seven separate designations for crop disasters on May 15, 2014.

Crop disaster designations due to DROUGHT are for the following states:

• California (2 additional counties)
• Kansas (39 additional counties)
• Oklahoma (17 additional counties)
• Oregon (15 additional counties)
• Texas (66 additional counties)
• Utah (7 additional counties)
• Washington (9 counties)

Crop disaster designations due to FREEZE are for the following states:

• Connecticut (2 counties)
• Massachusetts (1 county)
• New York (22 additional counties)
• Pennsylvania (2 additional counties)

Drought Disasters 2014

Beginning January 10, 2014 USDA has declared at least 1,718 separate crop disasters across 24  states. Most of those designations are due to the worsening drought.

• Those states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Washington. [FIRE-EARTH has documented all of the above listings.]

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

ii. The total number of counties designated as agricultural disaster areas includes both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

iii. Counties may have been designated 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 My 15, 2014.

California Drought Disasters

• Severe – Exceptional Drought Plague 100% of California  May 16, 2014

Related Links

• Drought Disaster Declared for Crops in 79 Counties Posted by feww on May 8, 2014
• Drought Disaster Destroys Crops in Six States May 1, 2014
• LAST CHANCE TO DECORPORATIZE, REHUMANIZE April 27, 2014
• U.S. Drought Expands April 25, 2014
• Drought Disaster Declared for Crops in 9 States  April 24, 2014
• Drought Destroys Texas Crops April 24, 2014
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Drought Disaster Declared for Crops in Six States

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
WORSENING DROUGHT
MULTIPLE CROP DISASTERS
SCENARIO 03
.

Crop Disaster Declared for 79 Additional  Counties in 6 States

Worsening Drought has prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to designate an additional 79 counties across six states as crop disaster areas in four separate designations on May 7, 2014.

Those States are Texas (39 counties), Oregon (7), Oklahoma (10), Nevada (2) , Kansas (17) and Idaho (4).

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

Drought Disasters 2014

Beginning January 10, 2014 USDA has declared at least 1,536 separate crop disasters across 21 states. Most of those designations are due to the worsening drought.

• Those states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah. [FIRE-EARTH has documented all of the above listings.]

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

ii. The total number of counties designated as agricultural disaster areas includes both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

iii. Counties may have been designated 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 My 7, 2014.

Related Links

• Drought Disaster Destroys Crops in Six States May 1, 2014
• LAST CHANCE TO DECORPORATIZE, REHUMANIZE April 27, 2014
• U.S. Drought Expands April 25, 2014
• Drought Disaster Declared for Crops in 9 States  April 24, 2014

• Drought Destroys Texas Crops April 24, 2014
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Extremely Critical Fire Weather Conditions Persist in U.S. South

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
EXTREME CLIMATE HAZARDS
DROUGHT
RECORD HEAT
EXTREMELY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
SCENARIO 101
STATE OF EMERGENCY
.

Extreme Fire Danger Forecast for parts of  Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Arizona

Extremely critical fire weather conditions are worsening across parts of Southern Plains, according to the latest forecast by the National Weather Service (NWS).

Record heat, gusty winds and low relative humidity values will continue the high fire danger through at least Wednesday across parts of the southern Plains and Southwest. The most extreme conditions are expected from the eastern Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles into parts of southern Kansas and northwestern Oklahoma. Elevated to critical fire weather conditions exist elsewhere across the region.

Extreme and Critical Fire Danger

About 8.3 million people live in the areas threatened by Extreme and Critical Fire Weather Conditions, a total of about 835,000km² (322,000 square miles), including the counties/cities of Amarillo, TX, Woodward, OK, Pratt, KS, Canadian, TX, Lahoma, OK, El Paso, TX, Oklahoma City, OK, Albuquerque, NM, Tucson, AZ, Wichita, KS…

600 Fires

Up to 600 active wildfires are currently burning across the U.S. , base on satellite images and ESRI.

Red Flag Warnings

Red Flag Warnings are in effect across parts of seven states—Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Nebraska.

Fire Danger in Oklahoma

Gov. Fallin has declared a state of emergency for all 77 counties in Oklahoma. Fallin also issued an executive proclamation declaring a burn ban for 36 counties.

The Governor’s Burn Ban covers 36 counties in western and south-central Oklahoma, according to the Proclamation. Those counties are Alfalfa, Beaver, Beckham, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Cimarron, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Garfield, Grady, Grant, Greer, Harmon, Harper, Jackson, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Lincoln, Logan, Major, McClain, Noble, Oklahoma, Payne, Pawnee, Roger Mills, Texas, Tillman, Washita, Woods and Woodward.

The largest fire in Oklahoma so far has burned more than 4,000 acres and destroyed at least six homes, and three dozen other buildings, killing one person, said fire officials in Guthrie, adding that the numbers are likely to rise.

More than 1,000 people were ordered to evacuate the fire disaster zone.

Latest Fire Headline News

• Large Wildfire Prompts Evacuations In Woodward County (OK)
• Fire burns 500 acres 500 acres near Prescott, AZ
• Heat and Drought Fuel ‘Unseasonable’ Start to California Wildfires

Crop Disasters Declared in 5 States as Drought Worsens

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENT
WORSENING DROUGHT
CROP DISASTERS
.

Crop Disasters Declared in Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, Arizona due to Worsening Drought

The U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA has designated a total of 59 counties in five states—Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas and Arizona—as multiple crop disaster areas due to the worsening drought.

Those areas are

Texas: Hall, Briscoe, Collingsworth, Donley, Childress, Cottle and Motley counties.

Oklahoma: Alfalfa, Caddo, Major, Blaine, Custer, Grady, Kiowa,
Canadian, Dewey, Grant, Washita, Comanche, Garfield, Kingfisher, Woods and Woodward counties.

Kansas: Barton, Ellsworth, Kiowa, Mitchell, Edwards, Jewell, Lincoln, Osborne, Smith, Russell, Barber (2 designations), Ellis, Ottawa, Republic, Clark, Ford, Pawnee, Rice, Cloud, Hodgeman, Phillips, Rooks, Comanche, McPherson, Pratt, Stafford, Saline, Rush and Harper.

Nebraska: Franklin, Nuckolls and Webster counties.

Arizona:  Santa Cruz, Cochise and Pima counties.

Drought Disasters 2014

Since January 10, 2014 USDA has declared at least 864 counties across 16 states as crop disaster areas due to worsening drought.

• Those states are: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Utah.

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

ii. The total number of counties designated as agricultural disaster areas includes both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

iii. A number of counties may have been designated 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 were approved by USDA on March 26, 2014.

Related Links

• Crop Disasters Declared for Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho March 21, 2014
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

More Quakes Rattle Oklahoma, Kansas; Ohio Stops Fracking

EARTHQUAKE HAZARD
.

61 Quakes rattled Oklahoma since Feb. 18, as two tremors shut fracking in Ohio well

It must be quite surreal living near Oklahoma city these days, with an average of about three shallow tremors rattling the nearby areas each day.

Three of the tremors measured magnitude 3.8 (Mw) and two others registered at 3.7Mw. Nearly all the tremors have occurred at  a depth of about 5km.

Earthquake Location Map. Oklahoma Earthquakes since February 18, 2014. Source: USGS/EHP

Tectonic Summary

Earthquakes in the Stable Continental Region – Natural Occurring Earthquake Activity
[Excerpts from USGS/EHP]

Most of North America east of the Rocky Mountains has infrequent earthquakes. Here and there earthquakes are more numerous, for example in the New Madrid seismic zone centered on southeastern Missouri, in the Charlevoix-Kamouraska seismic zone of eastern Quebec, in New England, in the New York – Philadelphia – Wilmington urban corridor, and elsewhere. However, most of the enormous region from the Rockies to the Atlantic can go years without an earthquake large enough to be felt, and several U.S. states have never reported a damaging earthquake.

Induced Seismicity

As is the case elsewhere in the world, there is evidence that some central and eastern North America earthquakes have been triggered or caused by human activities that have altered the stress conditions in earth’s crust sufficiently to induce faulting. Activities that have induced felt earthquakes in some geologic environments have included impoundment of water behind dams, injection of fluid into the earth’s crust, extraction of fluid or gas, and removal of rock in mining or quarrying operations. In much of eastern and central North America, the number of earthquakes suspected of having been induced is much smaller than the number of natural earthquakes, but in some regions, such as the south-central states of the U.S., a significant majority of recent earthquakes are thought by many seismologists to have been human-induced. Even within areas with many human-induced earthquakes, however, the activity that seems to induce seismicity at one location may be taking place at many other locations without inducing felt earthquakes. In addition, regions with frequent induced earthquakes may also be subject to damaging earthquakes that would have occurred independently of human activity. Making a strong scientific case for a causative link between a particular human activity and a particular sequence of earthquakes typically involves special studies devoted specifically to the question. Such investigations usually address the process by which the suspected triggering activity might have significantly altered stresses in the bedrock at the earthquake source, and they commonly address the ways in which the characteristics of the suspected human-triggered earthquakes differ from the characteristics of natural earthquakes in the region.

Ohio Quakes

Ohio authorities have stopped a fracking operations at Carbon Limestone Landfill in Lowellville, after two temblors hit Mahoning County.

The quakes occurred in Poland Township and the village of Lowellville near the Pennsylvania border on Monday in. The first tremor was a magnitude 3.0 shock, followed by a second measuring 2.6Mw, said USGS/EHP. Local media reported two smaller aftershocks later.

The quakes prompted Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) to order suspension of drilling operation at Carbon Limestone Landfill in Lowellville. The area is plagued by up to 20 wells, used by Hilcorp Energy for horizontal drilling.

“Out of an abundance of caution we notified the only oil and gas operator in the area, and ordered them to halt all operations until further assessment can take place,” said the ODNR public information officer.

“ODNR is using all available resources to determine the exact circumstances surrounding this event and will take the appropriate actions necessary to protect public health and safety.” He said.

“It’s an area which [before 2011] had no history of earthquakes,” said John Armbruster, a retired Columbia University geology professor who had worked with Ohio officials to monitor a recent series of earthquakes tied to a fracking-waste injection well near Youngstown.

“It looks very, very suspicious.”

“We never had a recorded earthquake in Mahoning County [before 2011] … then four [strike] in one day,” said Raymond Beiersdorfer, a geologist at Youngstown State University. “It’s definitely a testable hypothesis.”

The U.S. production of crude oil using fracking increased by more than 15 percent in 2013.

Earthquake Related Links

• Another Swarm of Shallow Quakes Strikes Close to Oklahoma City February 18, 2014
• More Quakes Strike Oklahoma February 11, 2014
• Significant Earthquakes Strike Oklahoma December 29, 2013
• M4.5 Quake Strikes NE Edmond Oil and Gas Field, Oklahoma December 8, 2013
• 41 Earthquakes Strike Oklahoma in November  December 1, 2013
• Earthquake No. 19 Strikes N. Texas November 29, 2013
• Two More Quakes Strike North Texas November 29, 2013
• Oil Drilling Likely Caused Texas Earthquake Posted on May 17, 2009
• M3.3 Quake Strikes Azle, Texas Posted on November 25, 2013
• FEWW Earthquake Links

Drilling Related Earthquakes

• NY Quakes Probably Gas Drilling Related Posted on May 21, 2009
• Magnitude 4.0 quake hits Utah near gas fields Posted on June 4, 2009

• Oil Drilling Likely Caused Texas Earthquake
• NY Quakes Probably Gas Drilling Related
• FEWW Saudi Quake Swarm Forecast 100 pct Correct!

• Saudi Quakes Oil Drilling Activity Related?
• Oil Drilling Likely Caused Texas Earthquake

Fracking Related Links

• Fracking Releases 750+ Chemicals Posted on December 18, 2013
• Never Mind the Frigging Environment, Fracking Must GO ON! December 4, 2013

• Significant Radioactivity, Salts, Metals Detected at Pennsylvania Fracking Site Posted on October 3, 2013
• Fracking Fluid Likely Killed Threatened Kentucky Fish: USGS Posted on August 30, 2013
• Fracking Pollutes Drinking Water Posted on May 10, 2011
• Philadelphia: Public Health Prevails Over Private Wealth

• Big Oil Hires Top Environmental Assassins
• NY sanity questioned as state plan shale gas drilling
• Kudos to Residents of Dimock, Pennsylvania

• EPA admits water contaminated near gas-drilling sites
• ‘Diarrhea water’

• Ozone Hole, Fracking and Other Issues Posted on April 22, 2011
• Texas is Fracked ! Posted on August 19, 2013
• Big Oil Hires Top Environmental Assassins Posted on March 26, 2010
• NY sanity questioned as state plan shale gas drillingPosted on January 2, 2010

• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs [December 2007]
• More Coal, Anyone?  
  
• Houston, we really do have a problem!

Disaster Emergency Declared in Multiple States

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
STATES OF DISASTER EMERGENCY
.

Deadly Snow Storm Threatens 32 States

States of Emergency Declared in Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, New Jersey…

The second snow storm in a week is forecast to dump up to a foot of snow across all or portions of at least 32 states. The deadly snow storm will be followed by yet another massive arctic blast that will bring life-threatening temperatures and frigid conditions to more than two-thirds of the country.

State of Disaster Emergency Declared in Kansas

Gov. Brownback has signed a state of disaster emergency declaration for Kansas for the entire state in response to a deadly storm, which continues to batter Kansas as it moves through the state.

Arkansas Declares a State of Emergency amid Widespread Power Outages

Tens of thousands of Arkansans were left without electricity on Tuesday, prompting Gov Beebe to declare a state of emergency.

“A severe winter weather system, beginning February 3, 2014, and continuing, has resulted in the loss of electric power and other utilities within the State of Arkansas, which will require utility companies and their crews to work long hours to restore such services as quickly as practicable …  Adverse circumstances have been brought to bear upon the citizens and public properties within the State …  [I’m authorized as] a state governor to declare a regional emergency during the duration of the emergency conditions, not to exceed thirty (30) days from the date of the initial declaration of emergency, and to exempt any motor carrier or driver operating a commercial motor vehicle to provide direct assistance in providing emergency relief during an emergency …” said Gov Beebe in his State of Emergency Proclamation.

Mississippi declares a State of Emergency amid Threat of Deadly Snow Storm

Gov. Bryant has declared a State of Emergency as a deadly snow storm threatens to batter northern portions of Mississippi, including Coahoma, DeSoto and Tunica counties.

“I have declared a State of Emergency to aid emergency officials in preparing for the onset of this potentially dangerous weather,” said Bryant. “Residents should not overreact but should make plans now to ensure they are prepared for a variety of conditions, including prolonged freezing temperatures, icy roadways, heavy rains, and potential flooding.

New Jersey Declares Yet Another State of Emergency

New Jersey Gov Christie issued yet another State of Emergency late Tuesday ahead of the winter storm that is forecast to dump up to a foot of snow just about everywhere.

All state offices will be closed Wednesday, said the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management.

“Tonight’s winter weather is expected to produce snow and ice, creating hazardous travel conditions and affecting areas throughout the state that are already recovering from yesterday’s storm,” said Gov. Christie in a statement, urging “all New Jerseyans to remain off the roads if possible” to allow “first responders and public safety officials can safely respond to any emergency situations.”

States of Emergency Declarations in Other Areas

• Town of Sellersburg, Ind. under state of emergency
• Dodge County, WI has declared a state of emergency due to the statewide propane shortage.
• Limited State of Emergency Declared in Niagara Falls

Additional Links

• Energy Demand: International Demand And Cold Weather Strain Midwest Propane Supply
• AP: A state-by-state look at winter’s latest wallop

Related Links

• State of Disaster Emergency Declared in Kansas  February 5, 2014
• State of Emergency Declared in New Jersey on February 4, 2014

State of Disaster Emergency Declared in Kansas

YOU THOUGHT WE’RE KIDDING
EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
STATE OF DISASTER EMERGENCY
.

Kansas declared a disaster area as deadly snow storm threatens two-thirds of the U.S.

Gov. Brownback has signed a state of disaster emergency declaration for Kansas for the entire state in response to a deadly storm, which continues to batter Kansas as it moves through the state.

“We still have some of the most difficult conditions ahead of us as the snowfall is followed by heavy winds and bitterly cold temperatures,” said Brownback. “Travel will remain treacherous and temperatures will be dangerously cold.”

National Weather Service (NWS) has issued multiple hazard warnings for about two-thirds of the United States as more than 150 million people are impacted by the storm.

Major Winter Storm Continues to Move East

A major winter storm will continue to move east into Wednesday with multiple hazards including: heavy snow from central Kansas through the Ohio Valley and Northeast; heavy ice accumulation from Arkansas into the Ohio River Valley and Mid-Atlantic; and heavy rainfall with possible flooding for parts of the Ohio and Tennessee River Valleys.

U.S. Weather Hazards Map (Hazmap)  for Wednesday, February 5, 2014. Issued at 02:44UTC. Source: NWS. UPDATE

• A major winter storm moving across the Midwest eastward through the Northeast followed by another plunge of Arctic air [polar vortex III] into the heart of the U.S.

• Flash flooding in the Tennessee Valley could occur due to heavy rain can  ahead of a cold front

• Another winter storm is shaping up in the center of the nation and will spread eastward into the Northeast during the short-range forecast period.

• A massive surge of frigid air from the Arctic that is following this storm system will lower temperatures by more than 40 degrees below normal in the High Plains.

“Kansas City and eastern Kansas is going to get a lot of snow,” said a meteorologist at the NWS Storm Prediction Center. “It’s remarkable weather. Winter is entrenched. It doesn’t appear to be wanting to go anywhere.”

A Foot of Snow in Kansas: “Unprecedented Event”

Kansas City had received about 8 inches of snow by late Tuesday, as forecasters  warned of up to a foot of snow across  more than two dozen states that are so far impacted by the deadly storm.

This event is unprecedented because only about 3 percent of the winter storms that hit Kansas City dump more than 6 inches of snow, Reuters reported another NWS meteorologist as saying.

At least two people were killed on Tuesday in a weather-related car crash in Kansas, one of hundreds of road collisions across Kansas and Missouri,  officials said.

Flight Cancellation and Delays

More than 5,000 flights into, within, or out of the United States have been canceled since Sunday, and at least 14,000 others delayed (source flight aware.com), impacting an estimated 2 million air travelers.

Related Links

• State of Emergency Declared in New Jersey on February 4, 2014

Drought Disaster Declared in 16 States

CLIMATE-RELATED DISASTERS
.

520 Counties across 16 States Declared Crop Disaster Areas due to Drought

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared crop disaster for 520 counties across 16 states due to a recent drought.

The disaster areas, declared in 11 separate designations, cover more than 16.5% of all counties and county-equivalents in the U.S.

The latest crop disaster areas are in the following states

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California (47 County-level crop disaster designations)
• Colorado   (40 County-level crop disaster designations)
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Kansas  (52  County-level crop disaster designations)
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• Oklahoma   (36 County-level crop disaster designations)
• Oregon
• Texas (197 County-level crop disaster designations)
• Utah

The above list includes the disaster designation for 40 counties in 5 states posted earlier today.

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

2. The total number of counties designated as agricultural disaster areas includes both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

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

4. Several counties have been designated as  crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters occurring.

5. The disaster designations were approved by USDA between January 9 and December 18, 2013.

2014 Federal and Agriculture Disaster Declarations

• Crop Disasters Declared in 6 States January 10, 2014

Related Links

• Drought 2013
• Agricultural Disasters Index