Drought Disaster Destroys Crops in Six States

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
WORSENING DROUGHT
MULTIPLE CROP DISASTERS
ADDITIONAL STATES OF EMERGENCY NEEDED!
.

Crop Disaster Declared for 80 Counties in 6 States

Worsening Drought has prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to  designate an additional 80 counties across six states as crop disaster areas in four separate designations.

Those States are Texas (19 counties), Oregon (11) Oklahoma (31), Nevada (1) , Kansas (16) and California (2).

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

Drought Disasters 2014

Beginning January 10, 2014 USDA has declared at least 1,457 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 April 30, 2014.

Related Links

• 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 9 States

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
DROUGHT
CROP DISASTERS
STATE OF EMERGENCY NEEDED!
.

Crop Disaster Declared for 315 Counties in 9 States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA has designated 315 counties across nine states as crop disaster areas due to the worsening drought, in five separate designations.

Those States are Texas (252 counties), Oklahoma (21), New Mexico (16), Nevada (6), Louisiana (2), Idaho (9), Arkansas (2), Arizona (1) and Utah (6).

Drought Disasters 2014

Beginning January 10, 2014 USDA has declared at least 1,377 counties across 21 states as crop disaster areas. Most of those designations are due to 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.

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 posted above were approved by USDA on April 23, 2014.

Related Links

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

Drought Destroys Texas Crops

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
DROUGHT
CROP DISASTERS
STATE OF EMERGENCY NEEDED!
.

Crop Disaster Declared for 249 Counties in Texas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA has designated 249 counties (98% of all counties) in the Lone Star State as crop disaster areas due to the worsening drought.

The designation also includes counties in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Those counties are:

• Arkansas: Little River and Miller

• Louisiana: Caddo and De Soto

• New Mexico: Curry, Eddy, Otero, Roosevelt, Dona Ana, Lea, Quay and Union.

• Oklahoma: Beaver, Cimarron, Jackson, Marshall, Beckham, Cotton, Jefferson, Roger Mills, Bryan, Ellis, Love, Texas, Choctaw, Harmon, McCurtain and Tillman.

Drought Disasters 2014

Beginning January 10, 2014 USDA has declared at least 1,377 counties across 21 states as crop disaster areas. Most of those designations are due to 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.

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 posted above were approved by USDA on April 23, 2014.

Related Links

• Crop Disasters Declared in Six States April 17, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared for 11 U.S. States April 11, 2014
• Crop Disaster Declared for 45 Counties in Texas, Oklahoma April 3, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in 5 States as Drought Worsens March 27, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared for Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho March 21, 2014
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Texas Drought Toll Continues Climbing

Agricultural losses from Texas historic drought still rising

Drought devastated 42.7 percent (12.2 million acres) of principal harvest in Texas and decimated cattle headcount by 1.4 million (10.5%).

Disaster Calendar 2012 – March 18

[March 18, 2012]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,459 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Texas, USA.The 2011 historic drought in Texas was also the Lone Star state’s costliest.  Drought devastated 42.7 percent (12.2 million acres) of principal harvest (corn, sorghum, cotton, wheat, rice and soybean)  in Texas and decimated cattle headcount by 1.4 million (10.5%).
  • Total area planted: 21.3 million acres; only 12.2 million acres or 57.3% harvested
  • Wheat: 5.3 million acres planted; only 35.8% harvested
  • Cotton : 7.6 million acres planted; only 40.8% harvested
  • Corn:  2.1 million acres planted; only 81% harvested
  • Cattle count on January 1, 2011: 13.3 million heads;  reduced to 11.9 million on January 1, 2012.
  • In 2010, considered to be a good year for crop production in Texas, about 87% of the planted acreage was harvested.  (Source: Texas AgriLife Extension Service and USDA).
  • Agricultural losses from the historic drought is said to exceed the original $5.2 billion estimate.

Texas Drought 2011: Deepening Cracks. Frame grab from video report by Agrilife Today

• Oklahoma and New Mexico. Crop harvests in the bordering states of Oklahoma and New Mexico were also hit by the drought.  In Oklahoma, about 68 percent of the planted acreage was harvested.  In New Mexico, it was less than 60 percent.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters: 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Drought

• Drought 2012  Posted on January 8, 2012
• Texas drought kills 500 million trees Posted  on December 21, 2011
• Drought Destroys Fifth of Argentine Corn Crop
• 2.5 million people in northern Mexico lack drinking water

• Texas Drought Causes Urban Forest Die-off Posted on February 16, 2012
• Disaster declaration renewed in Texas Posted on January 12, 2012
• Worsening Texas Drought May Stay Many Years Posted on September 30, 2011
• Drought-Related Losses Cost Texas $10billion Posted on August 21, 2011

Texas Drought Causes Urban Forest Die-off

2011 Texas drought kills 5.6 million urban shade trees: TFS

The historic drought has killed an estimated 5.6 million shade trees, dubbed ‘urban forest,’ throughout the cities, towns and communities across the state of Texas since last year, Texas Forest Service (TFS) reported.

Disaster Calendar 2012 – February 16

[February 16, 2012]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,490 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Texas, USA.  Last year’s unrelenting drought killed an estimated 5.6 million shade trees, dubbed urban forest,’ throughout the communities across the state, Texas Forest Service(TFS) reported.
  • “This estimate is preliminary because trees are continuing to die from the drought,” said Pete Smith, Texas Forest Service staff forester and lead researcher. “This means we may be significantly undercounting the number of trees that ultimately will succumb to the drought. That number may not be known until the end of 2012, if ever.”
  • “All cities and towns in Texas were included in the study with the exception of the Trans Pecos region, where tree mortality was determined to be a result of a February 2011 cold snap; not the drought,” said the report.
  • The loss of economic and environmental benefits provided by the trees is estimated at about $280 million per year, TFS said.
  • To prevent safety hazards posed by falling dead trees, the authorities will have to remove them. The estimated cost of  removing the dead trees is $560 million.

Texas Drought Map (Feb. 2012). Source: US Drought Monitor

Other Global Disasters

• Madagascar.   Death toll from Cyclone Giovanna, which struck Madagascar on February 14, 2012, has risen to at least 16, officials have reported.
  • Many people were reported missing and about 100 injured.
  • The deadly Cat 4B cyclone slammed the Indian Ocean island with sustained winds of  231km (143 miles) per hour and wind gusts exceeding 275kph.
  • The storm has destroyed about 4,000 structures, mostly homes, and dozens of schools, leaving up to 15,000 people homeless.
  • Much of the infrastructure in several cities have also been destroyed, with vast areas submerged under up to 3 feet of water.

• Honduras.  Death toll has risen to 360 following a massive prison fire that destroyed large parts of the Comayagua complex located about 100km (60 miles) north of the in Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

• Disaster declaration renewed in Texas
• Drought 2012
• Texas drought kills 500 million trees

• US 2011 Mega Disasters Costs Exceed $52 Billion*
• Billion-dollar disasters of 2011 [Updated]

Disaster declaration renewed in Texas

Texas renews disaster declaration as devastating drought persists

The Lone Star State has renewed a disaster declaration as its devastating drought continues.

Disaster Calendar 2012 – January 12

[January 12, 2012]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,525 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Texas, USA.The Lone Star State has renewed a disaster declaration as its devastating drought continues.
  • The declaration was issued in 2011 and renewed several times, as the drought showed no sign of abating.
    • Texas experienced its driest year on record last year.
    • The state also had its second warmest year with the average temp of 67.2 degrees (19.6ºC).
    • As many as 500 million trees “with a diameter of 5 inches or larger” across the state of Texas have died as a result of unrelenting drought and record-setting temperatures that plagued the Lone Star state, Texas Forest Service reported.
    • The 12-month period between November 1, 2010 and October 31, 2011 was the driest in Texas history, said the State Climatologist.
    • Also, the months of June, July and August in Texas were the hottest three-month period ever recorded anywhere in America.
    • “In 2011, Texas experienced an exceptional drought, prolonged high winds and record-setting temperatures. Together, those conditions took a severe toll on trees across the state,” said Burl Carraway, Sustainable Forestry department head. “Large numbers of trees in both urban communities and rural forests have died or are struggling to survive. The impacts are numerous and widespread.”
    • The state’s worst ever drought has also led to the largest-ever one-year decline in its cow herd, reports said.
    • The number of cows in Texas has declined by at least 600,000 [several reports quoted 750,000,] a 12 percent drop from the 5 million [several reports quoted 4.5] cows in the state at the beginning of the year[the lowest figure since the 1950s,] said David Anderson of  the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.
    • The state’s agricultural losses in 2011 are estimated at more than $5.3 billion. [The previous record was just over $4 billion during the 2006 drought.]
    • Texas AgriLife Extension Service has itemized the losses as follows
      • Livestock: $2.1 billion
      • Cotton: $1.8 billion
      • Hay: $750 million
      • Corn $326 million
      • Wheat $243 million
      • Sorghum $63 million
      • Sub Total: $5.3 billion
      • Losses incurred by related industries: $3.4 billion

Texas Drought Map – week of January 10, 2012. Source: US Drought Monitor.

Other Global Disasters

• North Carolina, USA.   Storms and a possible tornado in western NC have destroyed several structures, damaged about 100 buildings and injured at least 15 people.
  • A cold front moved through the western Carolinas triggering storms that hit Rutherford, Burke and Caldwell counties early Wednesday evening, NWS reported.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• Drought 2012
• Texas drought kills 500 million trees
• Drought Destroys Fifth of Argentine Corn Crop

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters: 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Texas drought kills 500 million trees

Up to 500 million trees across Texas have died due to 2011 drought: Report

The new estimates by Texas Forest Service does NOT include trees killed in wildfires that have consumed about 4 million acres of the Lone Star state since the 2011 fires began.

Disaster Calendar 2011 – December 21

[December 21, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,547 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Texas, USA. As many as 500 million trees “with a diameter of 5 inches or larger” across the state of Texas have died as a result of unrelenting drought and record-setting temperatures that plagued the Lone Star state, Texas Forest Service reported.
• The 12-month period between November 1, 2010 and October 31, 2011 was the driest in Texas history, said the State Climatologist.
• Also, the months of June, July and August in Texas were the hottest three-month period ever recorded anywhere in America.
• “In 2011, Texas experienced an exceptional drought, prolonged high winds and record-setting temperatures. Together, those conditions took a severe toll on trees across the state,” said Burl Carraway, Sustainable Forestry department head. “Large numbers of trees in both urban communities and rural forests have died or are struggling to survive. The impacts are numerous and widespread.”
• The estimate represents about 10 percent of all the trees in the state, Carraway added.
• “The preliminary estimates indicate three multi-county areas appear to be the hardest hit. The area including Sutton, Crockett, western Kimble and eastern Pecos counties saw extensive mortality among Ashe junipers.” TFS said.
• “The area including Harris, Montgomery, Grimes, Madison and Leon counties saw extensive mortality among loblolly pines. Western Bastrop and eastern Caldwell counties, as well as surrounding areas, saw extensive mortality among cedars and post oaks.”
• Trees need about 30 years to mature.

YTD Texas wildfire stats by TFS as of October 7, 2011. [The acreage  burnt includes about 3.1 million acres of pasture land.]

• Texas. The state’s worst ever drought has also led to the largest-ever one-year decline in its cow herd, reports said.
• The number of cows in Texas has declined by at least 600,000, a 12 percent drop from the 5 million cows in the state at the beginning of the year, said David Anderson of  the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.
• Large number of cows were moved out of the state “somewhere there’s grass,” but many were slaughtered. For example, about 200,000 more cattle were slaughtered in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana and Arkansas,  this year, a 20 percent increase over last year, he said.

Other Disasters

• The Carolinas, USA. A total of 19 counties in the Carolinas have been declared as agricultural disaster areas due to losses caused by drought and excessive heat that began June 1, 2011, and continues, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported.
• South Carolina disaster designations cover 6 primary areas including Cherokee, Greenville, Laurens, Pickens, Spartanburg and Union counties, and 8 contiguous areas: Abbeville, Anderson, Chester, Fairfield, Greenwood, Newberry, Oconee and York counties
• Five North Carolina counties also included in the declaration because they’re contiguous disaster areas: Cleveland, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford and Transylvania.
• Hong Kong. The government is culling 17,000 chickens after three birds died from the H5N1 bird flu strain last week.
• Two wild birds including an Oriental magpie and a black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) were found dead  with the virus.
• An outbreak of the deadly respiratory disease SARS killed 300 people in the territory and 500 more worldwide in 2003.
• Meantime, a government advisory board in the US has asked scientific journals not to publish details of “certain biomedical experiments, for fear that the information could be used by terrorists to create deadly viruses and touch off epidemics,” a report said.
• USA. About 41% of young adults and adolescents in the U.S. have been arrested at least once before age 23, not including minor traffic violations. Up to 27% reported being arrested before age 18, according to a study published by the Journal of Pediatrics.

• USA.  Blizzard conditions across five states have killed at least a dozen people since Monday including
• Four people traveling in east-central New Mexico were killed in a head-on collision
• A driver in New Mexico was killed after his SUV overturned
• A prisoner and a corrections officer in Colorado were killed after their vehicle went out of control.
• Five people were killed when their plane crashed in Central Texas on Monday. “Weather may have been a contributing factor,” Texas Department of Public Safety said. “There was some rain in this area and some lightning.”
• A tornado spawned by thunderstorms damaged a hospital in DeQuincy, Louisiana, National Weather Service reported.
• Emergency services across the Great Plains have received hundreds of rescue calls since Monday, when the blizzard shut down highways.
• The storm has brought snow from Oklahoma into Kansas, and forced Los Alamos National Laboratory to shut down.

Continuing southern Plains blizzard snarls pre-holiday travel with heavy snow, high winds

Storm forces massive school closures impacts numerous highways in four states

Kansas City, Mo. – Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011 – The winter storm that began developing Monday in New Mexico made its presence known by wreaking havoc on pre-holiday travel. Blizzard conditions closed numerous roads, schools and businesses today; stranded motorists and kept transportation and emergency management agencies busy trying to keep roads clear. National Guard troops were assigned to rescue people from stranded vehicles in several locations.

Blizzard Warnings remained in effect until around noon today in central, southwestern and west-central Kansas, the Oklahoma Panhandle and the northern and western Texas Panhandle.

A Winter Storm Warning was in effect for the same period in central and North-central Kansas. Winter Weather Advisories were in effect for southeastern Colorado; northern, central and south-central Kansas; northeast Missouri, northwest Oklahoma and the southern Texas Panhandle.

As of early this morning, the heaviest snowfall reported from the storm was 15 inches that fell on Springfield and La Junta in southeast Colorado. High winds have created drifts up to 10 feet deep in that area. Other overnight snow reports from Colorado included 12 inches at Beulah in Pueblo County, 10 inches at Las Animas and 8-12 inches in Huerfano County.

Winds around 25-35 mph with gusts to 50 mph are also producing considerable blowing snow and white out conditions throughout the blizzard area. Observers have reported 3-5-foot drifts across roads in much of southwest Kansas with-5-9 inches of snow on the ground overnight. Drifts are reaching 8 feet deep in parts of Hamilton County, Kan. The heaviest snow observed in Kansas so far was 12 inches at Scott City. – Source: NWS-CRH

Global Disaster Links

• Worsening Texas Drought May Stay Many Years

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities  (EDRO Forecast)
• 2011 Much More Disastrous: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• Global Disasters in 2011 Could Impact 1/3 to 1/2 of the Human Population  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)

• 2010 Disasters [Includes Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters: 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Worsening Texas Drought May Stay Many Years

Texas has experienced the driest one-year period on record 

99.16 percent of Texas now plagued by severe to exceptional drought levels

READ THIS FIRST

Continued hacking and content censorship

In view of the continued hacking and censorship of this blog by the Internet Mafia, the Moderators have decided to maintain only a minimum presence at this site, until further notice.

FIRE-EARTH will continue to update the 2011 Disaster Calendar for the benefit of its readers.

WordPress is HACKING this blog!

WordPress Continues to Hack Fire-Earth, Affiliated Blogs

The Blog Moderators Condemn in the Strongest Possible Terms the Continued Removal of Content and Hacking of FIRE-EARTH and Affiliated Blogs by WordPress!

United States of Censorship

Even Twitter Counters are disabled when Blog posts criticize Obama, or contain “forbidden phrases.”  See also: Google’s Top 10 List of ‘Holy Cows’

Disaster Calendar 2011 – September 29

[September 29, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,630 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

Texas Drought Map. Drought progression comparison maps for Sept 20 and Sept 27, 2011. Source US Drought Monitor. 

• Texas, USA. The Lone Star State has now experienced its driest one-year period on record in the past 12 months.
• Entire Texas is now plagued by drought, with 99.16 percent of the state listed as being in severe, extreme or exceptional drought levels (D2 – D4).
• “It is possible that we could be looking at another of these multiyear droughts like we saw in the 1950s, and like the tree rings have shown that the state has experienced over the last several centuries,” State Climatologist John Nielson-Gammon told Reuters.
• Gammon said the current drought began in  in 2005, but was mitigated in 2007 and 2010. However, it could linger on for another 9 years, if the pattern holds.
• “We’ve had five of the last seven years in drought, and it looks like it is going to be six out of eight,” he said.
• “We’re very lucky that we had 2007 and 2010, which were years of plentiful rain,” he said. “2010 was the wettest year in record. Were it not for last year, we would be in much worse shape even than we are today.”
• Texas is currently up to 20 inches of rainfall behind the month’s average, September usually being one of the state’s wettest months, Gammon said.
• Wildfires. Wildfires in Texas have consumed 3,764,123 acres and 6,919 homes and other structures.
• YTD Data provided by Texas Forest Service, (TFS) on September 29, 2011
• Wildfires: 21,546
• Acres Burned: 3,764,123

• Texas drought-related losses YTD: At least $10 billion

YTD Texas wildfire stats by TFS as of September 29, 2011.  Friday September 30, 2011 is forecast to be another extremely hazardous day for wildfires in Texas, TFS said.

• East Texas Weather Forecast: “Hotter, Drier and More Unstable Today……Winds increasing from the North Tonight with poor humidity recovery…A critical fire weather situation will be developing later today and persist into Friday.” TFS said.

Related Links

• Texas Declared Major Disaster Area
• Drought Intensifies in Southern U.S.
• The Wildfire that Broke Texas’s Back

• 2011 Disaster Calendar – September
• Texas Wildfires Torch 1,100 Homes
• Mega Heatwaves Could Kill Tens of Thousands in the U.S.  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)
• U.S. Disaster Losses Mounting
• 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season: AAA  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)
• U.S. back-to-back disasters phase has begun

• Pakistan Floods: 6 Million Affected, 2 Million Sickened, 300 Dead
• 2011 Much More Disastrous: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• Global Disasters in 2011 Could Impact 1/3 to 1/2 of the Human Population  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities  (EDRO Forecast)
• 2011 Disaster Calendar – August
• 2010 Disaster Calendar 
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Texas Wildfires Destroy 1,626 Homes, as Drought Worsens

Extreme and exceptional drought levels plague nearly 96 percent of Texas

Wildfires have consumed more than 3.62 million acres of Texas since January

READ THIS FIRST

Continued hacking and content censorship

In view of the continued hacking and censorship of this blog by the Internet Mafia, the Moderators have decided to maintain only a minimum presence at this site, until further notice.

FIRE-EARTH will continue to update the 2011 Disaster Calendar for the benefit of its readers.

WordPress is HACKING this blog!

WordPress Continues to Hack Fire-Earth, Affiliated Blogs

The Blog Moderators Condemn in the Strongest Possible Terms the Continued Removal of Content and Hacking of FIRE-EARTH and Affiliated Blogs by WordPress!

“Oppressive heat and fires were the story in the country’s mid-section and southern Plains as no relief was seen there this past week. In a bit of cruel irony, it was the strong and persistent winds of Lee, which just missed the mark of the drought’s epicenter in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, that fanned the large number of fire outbreaks in Texas.” Drought Monitor

Disaster Calendar 2011 – September 8

[September 8, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,651 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Texas, USA. The total number of homes destroyed by Bastrop fire is now confirmed at 1,386. At least 240 additional homes have been lost on other fires since Sunday, for a total of about 1,626, TFS reported.
• The worst fires in Central Texas for at least a century are fulled by a year-long intense drought, low humidity and strong winds generated by the remnants of weather system that had earlier spawned Tropical Storm Lee.
• Texas has been plagued by its worst drought in at least 6 decades.
• Drought is expected to continue in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
• Fire Management Details(Texas Forest Service, TFS)
  • Date: Thursday, September 8, 2011
  • National Preparedness Level: 3
  • Southern Area Preparedness Level: 4
  • TFS Preparedness Level: 5
• Fire Stats
  • Total Number of Fires YTD: ~ 18,776
  • Acres burned: ~ 3,621,589 [“That’s roughly the size of Connecticut.” Rick Perry said.]
  • Structures Destroyed by Fire: 4,155 units [FEWW Estimate: ~5,200]
  • Fires in the past 7 days: TFS has responded to 176 fires for 126,844 acres.
  • Since Sunday about 1,626  homes and other structures have been destroyed in various fires.
  • At least 5,000 people have been forced to abandon their homes.
  • About 700 people are in emergency shelters.
  • The 34,000-acre Bastrop Complex Fire near Austin is reportedly 30 percent contained.
  • BEAR CREEK (#536), Cass County. 25,000 acres, unknown containment. The fire is burning very actively in heavy timber and is threatening numerous houses. Eight homes have been destroyed.
  • PEDERNALES BEND (Spicewood), Travis County. 6,500 acres, 80 percent contained. Sixty-seven homes were destroyed.
  • RILEY ROAD, Grimes/Montgomery/Waller counties. 11,000 acres, 60 percent contained. Seventy-five homes have been destroyed just west of Magnolia.
  • TAMINA ROAD, Montgomery County. 150 acres, unknown containment. Hundreds of homes were evacuated Monday, but none was reported lost.
  • UNION CHAPEL, Bastrop County. 912 acres, 90 percent contained. Twenty-five homes were destroyed just west of Bastrop.
  • PETERS CHAPEL, Harrison County. 650 acres, 80 percent contained. The fire is burning actively in pine plantation. Numerous homes have been evacuated. Two homes were destroyed.
  • STEINER RANCH, Travis County. 125 acres, 50 percent contained.  More than 1,000 homes were evacuated. Thirty-five homes were destroyed.
  • #491, Limestone County. 3,000 acres, 95 percent contained. One was lost 20 miles east of Waco.
  • DELHI, Caldwell County. 6,000 acres. Six homes were lost on this fire east of Lockhart.
  • BAILEY, Colorado County. 2,300 acres, 90 percent contained. This fast-moving fire threatened 40 homes near Columbus. Ten homes were destroyed.
  • DIANA (#545), Upshur County. 2,500 acres, 70 percent contained. Twenty homes are threatened.
  • LUTHERHILL, Fayette County. 2,700 acres, 95 percent contained. The community of Ruttersville was evacuated. Fourteen homes were destroyed.
  • MOORE, Smith County. 1,500 acres, 90 percent contained. Ten homes were evacuated and five were lost on this fire burning on the Smith/Gregg County line. Two civilian fatalities were reported.
  • Wildfires in East Texas have consumed at least 2,000 acres, killing a woman and her baby and destroying more than a dozen homes, a report said.
  • BOOT WALKER (#553), Marion County. 1,000 acres, unknown containment. Thirty homes are threatened.
  • TOAD ROAD (#552), Upshur County. 350 acres, unknown containment. Three homes were lost and dozens remain threatened.
  • HOPEWELL (#854), Walker County. 1,035 acres, 90 percent contained. Thirty homes have been evacuated, five homes were destroyed.
  • HALSBRO COMPLEX, Red River County. 958 acres, unknown containment. Fifteen homes are threatened, but none reported lost.
  • #502, Nacogdoches County. 4,000 acres, unknown containment. More than a dozen homes have been evacuated, but none lost.
  • ARBOR, Houston County. 3,000 acres, 90 percent contained. Up to 15 homes are reported lost.
  • OLD MAGNOLIA, Gregg County. 1,000 acres, 80 percent contained. Several structures and a gas plant are threatened. Two fuel tanks exploded.
  • #839, Leon County (Concord Robbins). 4,689 acres, 90 percent contained. Twenty homes are reported lost and more than 300 were evacuated.
  • 101 RANCH, Palo Pinto County. 6,555 acres, 85 percent contained. The fire is burning on the south side of Possum Kingdom Lake near the town of Brad. Thirty-nine homes and nine RV’s have been reported destroyed.
  • Death toll from the fire outbreak has climbed to at least 4, a report said.
  • Yesterday (September 7, 2011) TFS responded to 20 new fires for 1,422 acres, including new large fires in Red River, Smith, and Cherokee/Rusk counties.
  • TFS has responded to 176 fires for 126,844 acres in the past seven days.
  • Texas drought-related losses YTD: At least $10 billion

• Oklahoma, USA. D3 and D4 (extreme and exceptional) drought levels now plague nearly 85.5 percent of the state.
• New Mexico, USA. D3 and D4 drought levels have intensified across NM, currently gripping about 72.2 percent of the state, a rise of more than 11 percent since last week.

Global Climate

The forecasters at Climate Prediction Center (CPC) have upgraded last month’s La Niña Watch to a La Niña Advisory. “La Niña, which contributed to extreme weather around the globe during the first half of 2011, has re-emerged in the tropical Pacific Ocean and is forecast to gradually strengthen and continue into winter.”

“This means drought is likely to continue in the drought-stricken states of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico,” said Mike Halpert, deputy director of the CPC. “La Niña also often brings colder winters to the Pacific Northwest and the northern Plains, and warmer temperatures to the southern states.”

Other Global Incidents

• Wellington, New Zealand. A mystery virus with flu-like symptoms has forced at least one Wellington school to shut  down, as a third of of the students and half the staff were sickened, a report said.
• “Some students were also suffering ear and chest infections.”

Related Links

• Mega Heatwaves Could Kill Tens of Thousands in the U.S. FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• U.S. Disaster Losses Mounting
• 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season: AAA  FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• U.S. back-to-back disasters phase has begun
• 2011 Much More Disastrous: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• Global Disasters in 2011 Could Impact 1/3 to 1/2 of the Human Population
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs FIRE-EARTH Forecast

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities EDRO Forecast
• 2011 Disaster Calendar – August
• 2010 Disaster Calendar 
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Texas Wildfires Torch 1,100 Homes

Wildfires Continue to Consume Texas

181 fires consume 118,413 acres and about 1,100 homes in 7 days

Texas wildfires have burned about  3.6 million acres and 4,400 structures [FEWW Estimate] so far this year.

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Disaster Calendar 2011 – September 6

[September 6, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,653 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Texas, USA. Some 181 fires have consumed 118,413 acres and destroyed about 1,100 homes in the past 7 days. Texas wildfires have burned at least 3.6 million acres and 4,400 structures [FEWW Estimate] so far this year.
• The worst fires in Central Texas for at least a century are fulled by a year-long intense drought, low humidity and strong winds generated by the remnants of weather system that had earlier spawned Tropical Storm Lee.
• Texas has been plagued by its worst drought in at least 6 decades.
• Fire Management Details(Texas Forest Service, TFS)
  • Date: Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • National Preparedness Level: 3
  • Southern Area Preparedness Level: 3
  • TFS Preparedness Level: 5
• Fire Stats
  • Total Number of Fires YTD: ~ 18,741
  • Acres burned: ~ 3,600,000 [“That’s roughly the size of Connecticut.” Rick Perry said.]
  • Structures Destroyed by Fire: 4,400 units [FEWW Estimate]
  • Fires in the past 7 days: TFS has responded to 201  fires for 118,413
  • About 1,100  homes have been destroyed in various fires.
  • At least 5,000 people have been forced to abandon their homes.
  • About 700 people are in emergency shelters.
  • The 30,000-acre Bastrop Complex Fire near Austin is still zero-percent contained.
  • At least 13 of the blazes are larger than 1,000 acres (including 7 that have torched more than 3,000 acres).
  • Wildfires in East Texas have consumed at least 2,000 acres, killing a woman and her baby and destroying more than a dozen homes, a report said.
  • Death toll from the fire outbreak has climbed to at least 4, a report said.
  • Yesterday (September 5, 2011) TFS responded to 22 new fires for 7,544 acres, including 10 new large fires.
  • Texas drought-related losses YTD: At least $10 billion

Other Disasters

• Japan. Death toll from Typhoon TALAS has climbed to at least 48 with 54 others reported missing.
• About 3,000 people are still in evacuation centers.
• Dozens of villages and tens of thousands of people in central Japan are still cut off.
• TALAS was the worst storm to hit Japan in 3 decades.
• Connecticut , USA. The White House has  declared Connecticut a major disaster area because of the damage  caused by Tropical Storm Irene beginning on August 27, 2011.
• Virginia, USA. The White House has  declared Virginia a major disaster area due to the damage caused Hurricane Irene during the period of August 26-28, 2011.
• New Hampshire, USA. The White House has  declared a major disaster exists in the State of New Hampshire due to the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene beginning on August 26, 2011.
• Pennsylvania, USA. The White House has  declared a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania due to the damage caused by Hurricane Irene during the period of August 26-30, 2011.
• Rhode Island, USA. The White House has  declared a major disaster exists in the State of Rhode Island due to the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene during the period of August 27-29, 2011.
• Massachusetts, USA. The White House has  declared a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts due to the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene during the period of August 27-29, 2011.
• Pakistan. Death toll from flooding in Pakistan has climbed to at least 123, reports said.
• Floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains in southern Sindh province have destroyed about half a million mud huts.
  
• At least 100,000 heads of cattle are dead or missing.
• Floods have destroyed about half million acres of cropland, and 80 percent of harvest-ready crops in the region.
• At least third of a million people have been displaced.
• More than 2.2 million others have been severely affected.
  

Related Links

• Texas Bastrop Blaze Burns 25,000 Acres, 476 Homes
• Mega Heatwaves Could Kill Tens of Thousands in the U.S. FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• U.S. Disaster Losses Mounting
• 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season: AAA  FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• U.S. back-to-back disasters phase has begun
• 2011 Much More Disastrous: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• Global Disasters in 2011 Could Impact 1/3 to 1/2 of the Human Population
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs FIRE-EARTH Forecast

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities EDRO Forecast
• 2011 Disaster Calendar – August
• 2010 Disaster Calendar 
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Drought Intensifies in Southern U.S.

Drought is also intensifying in the southeast, especially Georgia, eastern Alabama: Report

The drought could extend into next year and beyond, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported.

“In Texas and southern Oklahoma, another week of above-normal temperatures (up to 14°F above normal, with highs eclipsing 110°F) and sunny skies further offset the benefits of early month rainfall.   Consequently, drought intensified over many of the remaining D2 and D3 areas (Severe to Extreme Drought), with the vast majority of Texas and Oklahoma under Exceptional Drought (D4).  As of August 29, pasture and range condition was rated 98 and 92 percent poor to very poor in Texas and Oklahoma, respectively.  Further illustrating the heat and drought’s devastating impacts, cotton – a crop that generally thrives in hot, dry weather – was rated 60 percent poor to very poor in Texas and an astounding 92 percent poor to very poor in Oklahoma.  180-day rainfall deficits exceeded 14 inches in southwestern Oklahoma and north-central Texas, and were locally in excess of 20 inches near Houston.”

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Disaster Calendar 2011 – September 1

[September 1, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,658 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• U.S. South. Drought conditions (D0 – D4) now engulf 97.56 percent of the South, up from 93.62 percent a week earlier, the US Drought Monitor reported.
• U.S. Southeast. Extreme drought level (D3) in the Southeast now covers 22.8 percent of the region, compared with 12.94 percent last week.

• Texas, USA. Extreme and exceptional levels of drought (D3 and D4) in Texas have climbed to 95.04 percent of the state, up from 94.42 percent last week, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported.
• Childress, Texas has  recorded 94 days of triple digit temperatures (50 consecutive days, ending on August 10) so far this year.
• The summer of 2011 was the hottest on record across the Southern Plains region by a significant margin (up to 3.4ºF), NWS reported.
• Temperatures climbed above 90 degrees EVERY DAY during meteorological summer (June 1-August 31) at both Lubbock and Childress monitoring sites, the first time ever on record.

• Oklahoma, USA. Extreme and exceptional levels of drought now cover 85.37 percent of the state.
• Louisiana, USA. Extreme and exceptional drought plague 59.50 percent of the state, an increase of about 4 percent since last week.
• Kansas, USA. D3 and D4 drought conditions engulf about 32 percent of state of Kansas.

Other Disasters

• Vermont, USA. The White House today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Vermont due to the severe impact of Tropical Storm Irene beginning on August 29, 2011, and continuing.
• Oklahoma, USA. A wildfire in a wooded area of Oklahoma city has consumed at least 25 homes.
• Texas, USA. A Texas wildfire near Possum Kingdom Lake, about 75 miles west of Fort Worth, has consumed at least 6,500 acres, destroying 40 homes, a report said.

Related Links

• Mega Heatwaves Could Kill Tens of Thousands in the U.S.
• U.S. Disaster Losses Mounting
• 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season: AAA  FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• US Nuke Plants Threatened by Extreme Heat
• U.S. back-to-back disasters phase has begun
• 2011 Much More Disastrous: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• Global Disasters in 2011 Could Impact 1/3 to 1/2 of the Human Population
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• 2011 Disaster Calendar – August
• 2010 Disaster Calendar 
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Drought-Related Losses Cost Texas $10billion

Damage from Drought and Drought-Fueled Wildfires in Texas Exceeds $10billion and Mounting

In comparison, drought cost Texas agriculture $13.1 billion in the previous 13 years, an average of about $1 billion per year (peaking at a record annual loss of $4.1 billion in 2006 season.)

Dust Bowl Texas. Frame grab from video report by Agrilife Today

Disaster Calendar 2011 – August 20 Entry

[August 20, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,670 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Texas, USA.  Field surveys show livestock losses of $2.1 billion and crop losses of $3.1 billion in Texas from November 2010 to August 1, according to Texas A&M University’s Texas AgriLife Extension Service.
• “The drought of 2011 will have a lasting impact on Texas agriculture,” said Dr. Travis Miller, AgriLife Extension agronomist and a member of the Governor’s Drought Preparedness Council. 
• “This drought is ongoing,” said Dr. David Anderson, AgriLife Extension livestock economist. “Further losses will continue if rainfall does not come soon to establish this year’s winter wheat crop and wheat grazing.”
• “Wheat yields were down from a five-year average of 30 bushels to 26 bushels per acre and abandonment was up,” he said. “Given this year’s plantings of 5.7 million acres, we would have harvested 2.8 million in a normal year. In 2011, harvested acreage is estimated at only 2 million acres, down 800,000 acres. The combination of yield losses on harvested acres and higher abandonment put Texas wheat-for-grain losses at $243 million.”
• Texas corn production is down by about 30 percent in 2011.
• “The drought began for much of the state in September 2010,” Miller said.

Texas Drought: Cracks are deepening. Frame grab from video report by Agrilife Today

• The Losses by Commodity:–
• Livestock: $2.06 billion (includes $1.2 billion previously reported in May);
• Lost hay production value: $750 million;
• Cotton: $1.8 billion;
• Corn: $327 million;
• Wheat: $243 million;
• Sorghum: $63 million.

• A list of economic drought losses from 1998 through 2010 – compiled by AgriLife Extension:
• 2011– $5.2 billion [losses caused by drought-fueled wildfires NOT included]
• 2009 – $3.6 billion
• 2008 – $1.4 billion
• 2006 – $4.1 billion
• 2002 – $316 million
• 2000 – $1.1 billion
• 1999 – $223 million
• 1998 – $2.4 billion
• [Total of $18.34billion excluding 2011 losses from drought-fueled wildfires;  14-year average annual loss: $1.31billion, calculated between 1998 and August 1, 2011]

• FIRE-EARTH estimates that the additional losses caused by drought-fueled wildfires in Texas, which have consumed 5,400 square miles [3,456,000 acres] of grazing land and destroyed thousands of structures in the past 10 months, amount to about $5 billion, making a tally of about $10billion.

Other Global Disasters

• Thailand. The govt has declared 28 of Thailand’s 76 provinces disaster areas because of flooding. The deluge has so far affected about a million people, a report said.
• Arizona, USA. USDA has declared five Arizona counties as natural disaster areas due to the  ongoing drought. The disaster areas are Apache, Cochise, Graham, Greenlee and Santa Cruz counties, reports said.

Related Links

• Massive Wildfires Force Mass Evacuations in Spain
• U.S. back-to-back disasters phase has begun
• 2011 Much More Disastrous: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• Global Disasters in 2011 Could Impact 1/3 to 1/2 of the Human Population
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• 2011 Disaster Calendar – August
• 2010 Disaster Calendar 
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Texas Wheat Harvest Falls 60 Percent

The “worst wheat harvest” in living memory!

Drought Decimates Harvest in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas

[August 16, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,674 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

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Disaster Calendar 2011 – August 16 Entry

• USA. Texas harvested only 52 million bushels of wheat, compared with 127.5 million in 2010. Oklahoma’s harvest was down to 74.8 million bushels, from 129 million last year. Kansas could only harvest 273 million bushels, down from 360 million, USDA reported.
• “We’re always saying next year it will be better, but it doesn’t look very hopeful at this point,” said veteran Kansas wheat farmer Larry Kepley.
• It’s “the worst wheat harvest” he has ever known. “We’re always saying next year it will be better, but it doesn’t look very hopeful at this point,” added Kepley.

Related Links

• 40 percent of the entire U.S. cowherd severely impacted by killer drought
• Heat, Worsening Drought Kill Thousands of Cattle
• WARNING: About 20 percent of the world population could perish by 2016
• Drought Deepens in the South

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• 2011 Disaster Calendar – August
• 2010 Disaster Calendar 
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

U.S. back-to-back disasters phase has begun

40 percent of the entire U.S. cowherd severely impacted by killer drought: Report

Deadly drought in the South, compounded by unrelenting heat, is forecast to linger, even intensify in coming months.

[August 15, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,675 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

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Disaster Calendar 2011 – August 15 Entry

• USA. Killer drought in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and parts of Kansas and Colorado is compounded by unrelenting heat. Some 40 percent of the entire cowherd in the U.S. is now severely impacted by “exceptional” and “extreme” levels of drought, according to Northwest Oklahoma livestock specialist Greg Highfill.
• New Jersey, USA. A State of Emergency has been declared for Salem and Cumberland counties following widespread flooding caused by torrential rain.
• Pittsgrove in Salem County, New Jersey, has received about 12 inches of rain since the storm began on Sunday.
• Flood watches have been issued for Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and most parts of New Jersey, NWS said.

Related Links

• Drought Deepens in the South

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• 2011 Disaster Calendar – August
• 2010 Disaster Calendar 
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Drought and Deluge Continue to Wreak Havoc Across the World

Flooding in Sindh Province, Pakistan inundates 1,500 villages

Pakistani city of Badin received 475mm (187 inches) of rain in about 36 hours.

[August 14, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,676 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

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Disaster Calendar 2011 – August 14 Entry

• Sindh Province, Pakistan. The authorities have declared Badin district in Sindh Province, Pakistan a disaster area after torrential rains inundated at least 1,500 villages, destroying homes and crops and displacing more than 40,000 people, reports said.
• City of Badin reportedly received 475mm (187 inches) of rain in about 36 hours.
• Flooding has also killed an undisclosed number of people and livestock.
• Ohio, USA. Port Clinton has  declared a  state of emergency after wide spread flooding inundated the city.
• Texas, USA. Crop and livestock losses in Texas may have already exceeded $10 billion dollars, FIRE-EARTH estimates. State’s previous record losses were  $4.1 billion set in 2006.
• Guizhou Province, China. At least 2.15 million people in 84 province’s cities and counties of SW Guizhou Province are short of drinking water, according to an official statement.
• “The drought has also affected 1.05 million hectares of crops and left 760,000 livestock short of drinking water, causing direct economic losses of more than 6 billion yuan (923 million U.S. dollars).”
• Hunan Province, China. Deepening drought in the city of Huaihua, central China’s Hunan Province, has left about 400,000 people and 110,000 livestock short of drinking water, a report said.
• “The dry weather, due to lack of rainfall, had withered up 140,000 hectares of crops and dried up more than 1,200 wells, said a spokesman with the Huaihua Municipal Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Friday.”
• “Drought has caused major problems for boats that use the Xiangjiang River in Hunan Province. Almost 170 vessels have been held up at the Zhuzhou section in the river’s upper reaches. Authorities are dredging a channel to allow river traffic to resume. Water levels have dropped to under 30 meters this year, eight meters lower than previous highs.”
  

Related Links

• Back-to-Back Disasters Could Hit Australia: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• 2011 Disaster Calendar – August
• 2010 Disaster Calendar 
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

 

 

Drought Deepens in the South

Deadly Drought Spreads through the Great Plains and the Midwest

Deepening drought and triple-digit temperatures in southern Plains and Mississippi Valley broil crops and livestock causing tens of billions of dollars in damage.

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Disaster Calendar 2011 – August 11 Entry

[August 11, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,679 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Texas, USA. “Extreme” and “exceptional” levels of drought in Texas grew to 94.27 percent of the state from 91.73 percent last week, Drought Monitor reported.
• Oklahoma, USA. Levels of extreme and exceptional drought in Oklahoma grew by nearly 5 percent gripping 92.88 percent of the state, up from 88.10 percent a week earlier.
• The Corn Belt States, USA. Drought is rapidly developing in the corn-growing region of the U.S., with the drought level   intensifying to “moderate” (from “abnormally dry”) in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and South Dakota.

Current U.S. Drought Monitor. Click image to enlarge.

• USA. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared 913 U.S. counties as disaster areas, since January.
• “There is no question the United States has been hit with a number of unique and rather significant disasters over the last several months,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a press conference on August 8. “Historic wildfires in the Southwest, historic numbers of tornadoes in the South and Southeast, extraordinary drought, and flooding conditions in the Midwest have really challenged us.”
• “Just this year, 913 counties have been declared disaster areas.”
• “We’ve begun to pay indemnities on crop insurance. We anticipate the numbers will grow significantly but, as of today, (the Risk Management Agency) has already paid out $693 million.” Vilsack added.

Related Links

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• 2011 Disaster Calendar – August
• 2010 Disaster Calendar 
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Texas Drought Worst Ever

Texas drought is the worst ever one-year drought recorded

Texas received only 0.72 inches of rain in July, making the month the warmest ever on record (since 1895).  

[August 9, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,681 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

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Disaster Calendar 2011 – August 9 Entry

• Texas, USA. The state of Texas has broken the record for the driest 12 months on record as of July 2011. Only 0.72 inches of rain fell in the state during the entire month of July.
• Texas State Climatologist Nielsen-Gammon: “These statistics rank the current drought as the most severe one-year drought ever for Texas.”
• “Never before has so little rain been recorded prior to and during the primary growing season for crops, plants and warm-season grasses.” He added.
• Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples: “The extreme heat and unprecedented dry weather are crippling agricultural operations in Texas upon which all Americans rely for food, fuel, clothing and other daily necessities.”
• “This historic drought has depleted water resources, leaving our state’s farmers and ranchers in a state of dire need. The damage to our economy is already measured in billions of dollars and continues to mount.” He added.
• The small town of Kemp (Pop: 1,500) ran out of water on Sunday, the town mayor said. Kemp is located on the shore of Cedar Creek Reservoir in Kaufman County about 40 miles southeast of Dallas.
• Dallas experienced triple digit temperatures for the 39th consecutive day.
• For additional information on Texas drought see earlier entries on this page, 2011 Disaster Calendar – July page, previous Calendar months and blog posts.

Related Links

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• 2011 Disaster Calendar – August
• 2010 Disaster Calendar 
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Disaster Calendar 2011: Deaths Mount in U.S. Heatwave

Record-Breaking Grid Loads in Texas, South as Heatwave Persists

[August 5, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,685 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

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Disaster Calendar 2011 – August 5 Entry

Oklahoma, USA. The official death toll from Oklahoma heatwave has climbed to 15, reports said.

Texas, USA. As temperatures topped 100F (38C) in parts Texas for the 39th straight day, a “power emergency” was declared for the fourth consecutive day. Heat records across the U.S. were broken at least 2,600 times during last month.

Texas’ power grid was still at Level 1 emergency Friday afternoon, as reserves dropped below 2,300 megawatts, ERCOT reported.

Thursday’s peak demand was 66,815 megawatts between 4 pm and 5 pm local time, when ERCOT was forced to pull 1,033 megawatts from several neighboring grids, including Mexico.

Friday’s peak is expected to rise to 67,794 megawatts.

Meantime, the rising water temperatures in Tennessee River, which climbed over 90 degrees on Wednesday, forced Tennessee Valley Authority to cut down electricity generation by 50 percent at Browns Ferry nuclear power plant in Decatur, Alabama.

Water from Tennessee River is used to cool down the nuclear reactors at the plant.

U.S. Drought Outlook. The drought in Texas, Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Mexico is forecast to  persist or intensify until the end of October, NWS  reported.

Related Links

• Index of Human Impact on Nature (HIoN) March 2008
• Nature’s Warnings Exponentially Intensifying  Posted by edro on April 14, 2011
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• 2011 Disaster Calendar – August

• US Nuke Plants Threatened by Extreme Heat
• Killer Heat Persists in Central United States

The Wildfire that Broke Texas’s Back

Expecting Miracles !!

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated the entire state of Texas a disaster area with 213 of the states 254 counties declared as primary natural disaster areas, folowing one of the worst droughts on record.

The Lone Star State. Source: The Texas Forest Service. Click image to enlarge.

Since January 1, 2011, the drought, wildfires and other natural disasters have destroyed at least a third of the  corn, oats, wheat, pasture and forage crops in the Lone Star State.

The back-to-back disasters have also destroyed tens of thousands of cattle, horses and other farm animals, so far this year.

The High Five Interchange, Dallas, Texas. Source: Flickr. Some rights reserved.

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by area (695,620 sqkm), after Alaska, and second largest by population (pop: 21 million), behind California.

Drought Monitor Maps showing classification changes for selected time periods. Source: National Drought Mitigation Center/UNL. Click images to enlarge.

 

Map of below normal 28-day average streamflow compared to historical streamflow for the day of year (Texas). Source: USGS. Click images to enlarge.

 

Related Links

• U.S. Drought Getting Deadlier
• U.S. Wildfires – June 21 Update
• Texas Dynamic Dyer Mill Fire Devours 50 Buildings
• U.S. Wildfire Update – June 17
• Wildfires Raging in Arizona, Alaska, NC, Georgia, Texas …
• Texas Wildfires – Update April 30
• Texas wildfire conditions may worsen
• Texas Wildfires Scorch 1.8 Million Acres
• TEXAS FIRES – April 21 Update
• Texas Fires: More Towns Evacuated
• TEXAS ON FIRE

Texas Wildfires – Update April 30

Texas wildfires consume 2.1m acres

RED FLAG WARNINGS ISSUED for PARTS of 9 STATES

About 7,000 fires scorch more than 2 million acres, 1,132 structures

NWS has issued Red Flag Warnings for parts of California, Nevada, Arizona,  New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Florida.

In the past seven days, TFS has responded to 96 fires for 119,026 acres.

YTD Totals

• Fires: 6,973
• Acres burned: 2,124,343
• Structures lost: 1,132 [Texas fires destroy 1370 homes]

Click image to enter NWS portal.

Fatalities

• Two firefighters have lost their lives, including one near Lubbock who was killed yesterday.
• Two sightseers were killed as their plane  circled over fires Tuesday.

Cattle and Horses

NO official figures have been released so far. However,  FIRE-EARTH estimates that up to 50,000 heads of cattle and horses may have been killed or seriously injured as a result of the deadly fires since beginning of the year.

“Between 400,000 and 500,000 cattle have been injured by the fire but survived,” a report said.

Dry Conditions Decimating Texas Crops

Texas farmers produce about 100 million bushels of wheat on average each year, but they would be lucky to produce  a third of that amount this year, says Texas AgriLife Extension Service .

“This year’s crop condition ratings show about 40 percent of the Texas crop in very poor condition, which compares with 65 percent very poor in March of 2006 and 53 percent very poor in May of 2009,” said Dr. Mark Welch, AgriLife Extension economist specializing in grain marketing and policy.

Related Links

• Texas wildfires consume nearly 2m acres
• Texas wildfire conditions may worsen
• Texas Wildfires Scorch 1.8 Million Acres
• TEXAS FIRES – April 21 Update
• Texas Fires: More Towns Evacuated

• TEXAS ON FIRE
• Wildfires Devastating Texas; Gov. Perry Tours
• Local officials in a parched Texas county have resorted to asking their constituents to pray for rain
• Drought sears farmers’ hopes: They had wanted to take advantage of record prices for commodities
• U.S. Agrees to Help Fight Mexico Wildfires

• Global Disaster Forecast – UPDATE 17 Mar
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• Extreme fire danger, continued major flooding in the US

• US Wildfire Pattern Consistent with Drought
• National Fire Stats Falsified?
• Denver wildfire forces evacuation of 10,000 homes
• Wildfires Wreaking Havoc Across the U.S.
• World on Fire
• U-S Attacked by Continued Severe Weather

Texas wildfires consume nearly 2m acres

RED FLAG WARNINGS ISSUED for PARTS of 8 STATES

Texas wildfires scorch about 2 million acre, 905 structures

NWS has issued Red Flag Warnings for parts of California, Arizona,  New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Florida.

IF IT ISN’T FLOODED, IT MUST BE BURNING!

Click image to enter NWS portal.

TEXAS FOREST SERVICE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT
Thursday, April 28, 2011
National Preparedness Level: 1
Southern Area Preparedness Level: 4
TFS Preparedness Level: 5

In the past seven days, TFS has responded to 103 fires for 91,542 acres.

YTD Totals

• Fires: 6,329
• Acres burned: 1,930,118
• Structures lost: 905 [Texas fires destroy 1370 homes]

Largest Fires

ROCKHOUSE, Presidio and Jeff Davis Counties. 292,739 acres, 66 percent contained.
DEATON COLE, Val Verde County. 40,000 acres, 50 percent contained.
SCOTT RANCH, Irion County. 10,000 acres, 40 percent contained.
PLEASANT FARMS, Ector County (and C-BAR, Crane County). 12,800 acres, 75 percent contained.
OASIS, Kimble County. 6,400 acres, 10 percent contained.

Latest: CR 266, Duval County. 1,500 acres, 89 percent contained.

BOYS RANCH, Potter and Oldham counties. 500 acres, 85 percent contained.
CHAMPION, Mitchell County. 1,000 acres, no containment.
HAPPY, Castro County. 3,000 acres, 75 percent contained.
FULLER, Scurry County. 5,200 acres, 70 percent contained.
SPADE RANCH, Terry County. 4,000 acres, 90 percent contained.
MATHIS, Cottle County. 300 acres, 90 percent contained.
T-BAR RANCH, Lynn County. 1500 acres, 90 percent contained.
PK COMPLEX, Stephens and Palo Pinto Counties. 126,734 acres, 94 percent contained.
WILDCAT, Coke County. 159,308 acres, 90 percent contained.

Fatalities

• Two firefighters have lost their lives, including one near Lubbock who was killed yesterday.
• Two sightseers were killed as their plane  circled over fires Tuesday.

Cattle and Horses

NO official figures have been released so far. However,  FIRE-EARTH estimates that up to 50,000 heads of cattle and horses may have been killed or seriously injured as a result of the deadly fires since beginning of the year.

“Between 400,000 and 500,000 cattle have been injured by the fire but survived,” a report said.

Dry Conditions Decimating Texas Crops

Texas farmers produce about 100 million bushels of wheat on average each year, but they would be lucky to produce  a third of that amount this year, says Texas AgriLife Extension Service .

“This year’s crop condition ratings show about 40 percent of the Texas crop in very poor condition, which compares with 65 percent very poor in March of 2006 and 53 percent very poor in May of 2009,” said Dr. Mark Welch, AgriLife Extension economist specializing in grain marketing and policy.

Related Links

•  Texas wildfire conditions may worsen
• Texas Wildfires Scorch 1.8 Million Acres
• TEXAS FIRES – April 21 Update

• Texas Fires: More Towns Evacuated
• TEXAS ON FIRE
• Wildfires Devastating Texas; Gov. Perry Tours
• Local officials in a parched Texas county have resorted to asking their constituents to pray for rain
• Drought sears farmers’ hopes: They had wanted to take advantage of record prices for commodities
• U.S. Agrees to Help Fight Mexico Wildfires

• Global Disaster Forecast – UPDATE 17 Mar
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• Extreme fire danger, continued major flooding in the US

• US Wildfire Pattern Consistent with Drought
• National Fire Stats Falsified?
• Denver wildfire forces evacuation of 10,000 homes
• Wildfires Wreaking Havoc Across the U.S.
• World on Fire
• U-S Attacked by Continued Severe Weather

TEXAS FIRES – April 21 Update

TEXAS BURNING FROM STEM TO STERN: TFS

Texas Totals: 828 Structures and 1,779,788 acres consumed by 6,057  fires 

Report: End of Wednesday, April 20, 2011
National Preparedness Level: 1
Southern Area Preparedness Level: 3
TFS Preparedness Level: 5

Texas Fires YTD Totals

Fires: 6,057
Acres Burned: 1,779,788
Structures Destroyed: 828
Source: Texas Forest Service (TFS)

Fatalities
Two firefighters have lost their lives, including one near Lubbock who was killed yesterday
Two sightseers were killed as their plance  circled over fires Tuesday.

Livestock
NO official figures have been released so far. However,  FIRE-EARTH estimates that up to 20,000 heads of cattle may have been killed or injured as a result of the deadly fires since beginning of the year.

Dry Conditions Decimating Texas Crops

Texas farmers produce about 100 million bushels of wheat on average each year, but they would be lucky to produce  a third of that amount this year, says Texas AgriLife Extension Service .

“This year’s crop condition ratings show about 40 percent of the Texas crop in very poor condition, which compares with 65 percent very poor in March of 2006 and 53 percent very poor in May of 2009,” said Dr. Mark Welch, AgriLife Extension economist specializing in grain marketing and policy.

Related News Links

• Agricultural Drought Task Force   
• Firefighters battle two blazes near Magnolia, Shenandoah

Related Links

• Texas Fires: More Towns Evacuated
• TEXAS ON FIRE
• Wildfires Devastating Texas; Gov. Perry Tours
• Local officials in a parched Texas county have resorted to asking their constituents to pray for rain
• Drought sears farmers’ hopes: They had wanted to take advantage of record prices for commodities
• U.S. Agrees to Help Fight Mexico Wildfires

• Global Disaster Forecast – UPDATE 17 Mar
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• Extreme fire danger, continued major flooding in the US

• US Wildfire Pattern Consistent with Drought
• National Fire Stats Falsified?
• Denver wildfire forces evacuation of 10,000 homes
• Wildfires Wreaking Havoc Across the U.S.
• World on Fire
• U-S Attacked by Continued Severe Weather

Last Updated: April 21, 2011 at 09:28UTC

U-S Drought: Mega Disaster Unfolding

Persistent Drought Plaguing Southern U.S.

Persistent drought conditions to linger in the Southern Plains and Southeast US

Persistent drought conditions are forecast to continue in the Southern Plains and Southeast US through mid to late spring, NOAA’s National Weather Service says. “La Niña has kept storms and most of their precipitation in the north, leaving the South drier than normal.”

US Drought Conditions Growing Like Cancer from the South and Southeast.

“The speed with which the drought developed across the southern United States is rather unusual considering that just last year El Niño dominated the region with abundant precipitation,” said Bill Proenza, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service southern region.“ Then it was as if a switch was flipped during the summer, changing to La Niña conditions.”

Fear of Wildfires

Fearing wildfires, Gov Rick Perry issued a disaster proclamation for 244 counties (all but 10 of Texas counties),  because of the ongoing severe drought in December, as Texas experienced its driest November to December in half a century last year.

“Drought conditions, as Texas is experiencing its driest November to December in about 50 years, can combine with low humidity and gusty winds to produce the wildfires, said Mahlon Hammetter, a fire prevention specialist with the Texas Forest Service.”

Earlier in December, lingering drought had forced USDA to declare natural disaster in 10 counties in South Carolina and 36 in Louisiana.  because of persistent drought. “Counties along the Arkansas state line in Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas were declared secondary disaster areas,” a report said.

Although the drought persists in all of the Gulf Coast states, NOAA says, Texas and Florida are the worst affected. “From October through December, Texas received only five to 50 percent of normal precipitation, with portions of the lower Rio Grande averaging less than five percent of normal. During that period, for example, Brownsville received only 0.14 inches (normal is 6.55 inches) and Del Rio received 0.04 inch (normal is 3.89 inches). To the north in Austin, only 1.55 inches of rainfall was observed, compared to the normal of 8.34 inches.”

At least 42,000 fires consumed more than 775,000 acres throughout the affected southern region during 2010.

“Florida lost more than 400,000 acres to wildfires last year, with more predicted to come. Florida’s Forestry Division notes La Niña is expected to continue at least through spring and again anticipates greater than normal wildfire activity in 2011.”

Impact of  La Niña

A combination of scarce tropical precipitation and the dry conditions brought by La Niña created severe to extreme drought conditions for about a third of the South and Southeast regions by late fall and early winter 2010, NOAA said.

La Niña conditions have occurred 13 times in the past 60 years, with the current La Niña being the 6th strongest, so far. However, climate experts are unable to predict whether it will continue into 2012.

It probably will!

La Niña on Dec. 29, 2010

The La Niña is highlighted by the large pool of blue and purple (cooler than normal) water stretching from the eastern to the central Pacific Ocean, reflecting lower than normal sea surface heights.  Click images to enlarge.

Original Caption: The current state of this season’s La Nina is shown in this Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM)/Jason-2 satellite image of the Pacific Ocean, based on the average of 10 days of data centered on Dec. 26, 2010. The new image depicts places where the Pacific sea-surface height is higher (warmer) than normal as yellow and red, while places where the sea surface is lower (cooler) than normal are shown in blue and purple. Green indicates near-normal conditions. Sea-surface height is an indicator of how much of the sun’s heat is stored in the upper ocean. The La Nina cool waters stretch from the eastern to the central Pacific Ocean. Image credit: NASA JPL Ocean Surface Topography Team.

Sea Surface Height Anomaly (SSHA)

Sea surface height anomaly (SSHA) measurements from the Jason-1 and Jason-2 satellite altimeter missions. Note the two main areas of anomaly across the equatorial Pacific. La Nina lingers on as ENSO continues to drive pools of warm surface water to the west.

Global SST Anomaly Chart January 24, 2011

Click image to update and enlarge.

Related Links:

• VEGETATION
• Weather
• Wildfires
• World Now

Mega Disasters:

• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• FEWW DISASTER FORECAST 2011
• 2011 Much More Disastrous
• 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010
• Megadisasters Loom

• 2010 Disasters
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• 2010 Disaster Calendar
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Earth’s Human Induced Antiphase Nears Completion

Drought Turning Texas Parched Dry

Stop Squeezing Nature to YOUR Death!

Drought is transforming Texas into a large dry parched land

Texas is the most drought-stricken state in the country. Waterways across south-central Texas are drying up, and there’s no telling how much longer the supplies will last. Water levels are down significantly in lakes, rivers and wells throughout Texas.

US Drought Map [As dated]

State of Texas

Drought statistics released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that 77 of Texas’ 254 counties are in extreme or exceptional drought, the two most severe categories, which makes Texas the only state in the continental U.S. falling in those categories.

Climatologists expect the harsh drought conditions to continue for at least another 5 weeks.

Some 230 Texas public water systems are under mandatory water restrictions, covering areas in and around Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Another 70 have urged customers for voluntary cutbacks.

Farmer Michael Schaefer of St. Hedwig, Texas, says small ears on his yellow field corn show the effect of drought. ‘‘It’s pretty bad…and the 105-degree temperature doesn’t help either,’’ Schaefer said. Photo: John Davenport/Zuma Press. Image may be subject to copyright.

“In the bone-dry San Antonio-Austin area, the conditions that started in 2007 are being compared to the devastating drought of the 1950s. There have been 36 days of 100 degrees or more this year in an area where there are usually closer to 12.” AP reported.

“Among the most obvious problems are the lack of water in Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan near Austin, two massive reservoirs along the Colorado River that provide drinking water for more than 1 million people and also are popular boating and swimming spots. Streams and tributaries that feed the lakes have ‘all but dried up,’ according to the Lower Colorado River Authority.”

The water level in Lake Travis is down 54 percent, with all but one of the 12 boating ramps closed because they are too far from the edge of the water, “and the last may go soon. The receding waters have even revealed old stolen cars shoved into the lake years ago, authorities said.”

Related Links:

• Drought and Deluge

• CO2e Links Page
• World CO2 Emissions
• Carbon Footprint of Your Dollar
• New York Cognitive Dissonance

• Reduce Harmful Emissions by Wealthy Individuals
• First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities