Drought Worsens in the U.S. West

Drought intensifies in Nevada, Oregon, Utah and the Dakotas

Drought intensified in the U.S. West over the past week.

D0-D4 drought levels generally persisted in California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii, but eased slightly in Texas and New Mexico.

Drought conditions improved more significantly in Oklahoma, covering 52.77 percent of the state, down from 75.08 percent previously. In Arkansas, D0 – D2 drought areas were 71.01 percent, down from 90.94 percent last period. Kansas down to 87.80 percent, compared with 100 percent a week ago.

As of July 30, 2013, drought levels in the lower 48 improved slightly covering 57.23 percent of contiguous U.S., down from 58.30 percent previously.

Dry conditions in Iowa covered 70.18 percent of the land, up from 62.92 percent earlier.

As of July 31, 2013 some 1,295 U.S. counties across 28 states were designated as drought disaster areas by USDA. [The figure includes both primary and contiguous disaster designations.]

Related Links

• Disaster Declared for 98 Counties in 9 States August 1, 2013
• 2013 U.S. Drought Disaster Map August 1, 2013
• U.S. Drought Expands for 6th Consecutive Week July 26, 2013
• Drought Disaster 2013 [Index Page]

Disaster Declared for 98 Counties in 9 States

98 Counties in nine states designated as agricultural disaster areas: USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 98 (ninety-eight) counties in nine states as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the ongoing drought and freeze earlier in the year.

The designated disaster areas, both primary and contiguous, spared across nine states:

• Idaho (23 counties designated as disaster areas)
• Montana (4)
• Nevada (2)
• Oregon (1)
• Wyoming (1)
• Mississippi (41)
• Alabama (4)
• Louisiana (3)
• California (19)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 19 counties in California as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the ongoing drought.

The counties designated as primary or contiguous disaster areas are

Calaveras, Orange, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Cruz, Alpine, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, Stanislaus, Amador, Merced, San Benito, San Mateo and Tuolumne.

Drought disaster has also been declared in 5 other states:

• Idaho: Ada, Elmore, Gem, Owyhee, Canyon, Fremont, Lemhi, Payette, Adams, Butte, Custer, Jefferson, Twin, Falls, Blaine, Camas, Gooding, Madison, Valley, Boise, Clark, Idaho, Teton and Washington counties.
• Montana:  Beaverhead, Gallatin, Madison and Ravalli counties.
• Nevada: Elko and Humboldt counties.
• Oregon: Malheur County.
• Wyoming: Teton County.

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas July 31, 2013.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 41 counties in Mississippi as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a freeze that occurred March 25-29, 2013.

The counties are Clarke, Harrison, Marion, Copiah, Jackson, Pearl, River, Covington, Jones, Perry, Forrest, Lamar, Pike,m George, Lauderdale, Stone, Greene, Leflore, Walthall, Hancock, Lincoln, Wayne, Amite, Hinds, Jefferson Davis, Rankin, Carroll, Holmes, Kemper, Simpson, Claiborne, Humphreys, Lawrence, Smith, Franklin, Jasper, Neshoba, Sunflower, Grenada, Jefferson, Newton and Tallahatchie.

Agricultural disaster due to the freeze has also been declared in 2 other states:

• Alabama: Choctaw, Mobile, Sumter and Washington counties.
• Louisiana: St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington counties.

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas July 31, 2013, said USDA.

Previous Entry for Drought Disaster

• Drought Disaster Declared for Montana Counties  July 25, 2013

U.S. Drought Expands for 6th Consecutive Week

Drought and dry conditions expand in the U.S. South, West, Midwest and High Plains

The areas in contiguous U.S.  that are covered by ‘Abnormally Dry’ thru ‘Exceptional Drought’ (D0 – D4 on the Drought Monitor scale) have expanded to 58.30 percent for the week ending July 23, 2013, up from 54.39 percent a week earlier.

Abnormally dry areas in the U.S. Midwest, including the top crop state of Iowa, reached 18.94 percent, up from 7.16 percent.

Iowa has experienced a triple fold increase in the areas covered by abnormally dry condition, reaching 62.9 percent, compared to 19.8 percent earlier.

Dry conditions have also expanded in Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota and Missouri.

Five additional Montana counties have been designated as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the expanding drought.

US Drought Map as of July 23, 2013, released by US Drought Monitor on  July 25, 2013.

About 64 percent of the topsoil in Arkansas was rated short or very short of moisture, with 24 percent of the state’s pasture and rangeland in poor or very poor condition.

California had 95 percent of its pasture and rangeland in poor or very poor condition. Colorado 64 percent, Kansas 55 percent, Texas 44 percent and Arizona had 79 percent so rated, according to July 22 U.S. Department of Agriculture crop progress report.

“Missouri had 60 percent of the topsoil short or very short of moisture, and Iowa had 57 percent so rated, which was a jump of 22 percent since last week.”

Related Links

• Drought Disaster Declared for Montana Counties July 25, 2013
• U.S. Drought Expands for 5th Straight Week July 18, 2013

• U.S. Drought Expands for 4th Week July 11, 2013
• Agricultural Disaster Declared in 3 States July 18, 2013
• U-S Drought 2013: Fueled by Heat from Hell? January 31, 2013 [FIRE-EARTH Forecast]
• US: Drought Disaster 2013 [Index Page]

Drought Disaster Declared for Montana Counties

Five Montana Counties Declared Agricultural Disaster Areas Due to Worsening Drought

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated five additional Montana counties as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the expanding drought.

The designated counties, both primary and contiguous disaster areas, include Silver Bow, Beaverhead, Deer Lodge, Jefferson and Madison counties.

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas July 24, 2013, said USDA.

As of July 24, 2013 at least 1,278 U.S. counties were designated as primary or contiguous agricultural disaster areas due to the ongoing drought (see map below).

U.S. Drought Disaster Map as of July 24, 2013. A total of at least 1,278 counties across 28 states are currently designated as [primary or contiguous] drought disaster areas.

Related Links

• U.S. Drought Expands for 5th Straight Week  July 18, 2013
• Agricultural Disaster Declared in 3 States July 18, 2013

• Disaster Declared for 61 Counties in 5 States July 12, 2013
• Disaster Declared for 140 Counties in 10 States July 4, 2013
• Major Disaster Declared in 47 Iowa Counties  July 3, 2013
• Agricultural Disasters 2013 [Index Page]
• China to Become Top Wheat Importer after Major Crop Disaster July 17, 2013

 

• U-S Drought 2013: Fueled by Heat from Hell? January 31, 2013 [FIRE-EARTH Forecast]
• US: Drought Disaster 2013 [Index Page]