Severe to Exceptional Drought Grows in U.S.

Nearly half of U.S. in ‘Severe’ to ‘Exceptional’ drought

‘Severe’ to ‘Exceptional’ drought conditions (D2 – D4) have increased to 45.57 percent in the lower 48 states, a rise of more than 3 percent since last week.

• About two-thirds (63.86%) of the United States remains in moderate drought or worse.
• During the 2012 crop year, USDA has designated 1,369 counties across 31 states as disaster areas—1,234 due to drought. The drought disaster declaration list also includes numerous other counties designated as contiguous disaster areas. [NOTE: There are 3,143 counties and county-equivalents in the U.S.]
• Nearly a third of the Midwest is in extreme drought, about three time as much as previous week.
• Central U.S. is the worst hit region with continued widespread intensification of drought.
• ‘Extreme’ and ‘Exceptional’ drought levels (D3 – D4) prevail in 20.57 percent of the Contiguous 48, compared with 13.53 percent  a week earlier.
• The areas experiencing ‘Exceptional’ drought level (d4) has more than doubled to 2.38 percent of the lower 48 since July 17 report.
• Hawaii and Alaska have not reported any change in the drought conditions.

Drought Map for Continental U.S., July 24, 2012. (Released July 26, 2012)

“We’ve seen tremendous intensification of drought through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas, Kansas and Nebraska, and into part of Wyoming and South Dakota in the last week,” said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist and U.S. Drought Monitor author. “The amount of D3 developing  in the country has increased  quite a bit for each of the last several weeks.”

The current U.S. Drought Monitor shows that every state in the country had at least a small area shown as abnormally dry or worse. “It’s such a broad footprint,” Fuchs said.

“This drought is two-pronged,” he said. “Not only the dryness but the heat is playing a big and important role. Even areas that have picked up rain are still suffering because of the heat.”

Drought Comparison Maps for Continental U.S.,  July 17 – 24, 2012. (Released July 26, 2012)

Comparison Maps for July 10 and July 17, 2012.

U.S. Drought Comparison Maps for July 3 and July 10, 2012.

U.S. Drought Comparison Maps for June 26 and July 3, 2012

Dryness and drought, exacerbated by above-normal temperatures, have been increasing both in extent and intensity across much of the central and northern U.S.  Source: NOAA/ NWS/ NCEP/ Climate Prediction Center

 Related Posts – Latest

• U.S. Drought Continues to Spread, Intensify Posted July 19, 2012
• Another Heat Wave Grips America’s Heartland Posted July 18, 2012
• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S.  Posted July 17, 2012
• Drought and deluge 

Drought Disaster – Recent

• USDA Disaster List Grows to 1,369 Counties Across 31 States Posted  July 26, 2012

• Wildfires Consume 120,000 Acres in Nebraska Posted  July 25, 2012
• Deadly Drought Worsens Corn, Soybean, Pasture and Range Conditions Posted July 24, 2012
• Watching Events Unfold, Frame by Frame, Exactly as Forecast Posted July 20, 2012
• Deadly Heat Continues to Devour U.S. Crops Posted July 19, 2012

• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S. Posted July 17, 2012
• Largest Ever U.S. Disaster Continues Unfolding July 14, 2012
• Drought 2012 Posted on January 8, 2012

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

• Beijing, China. Death toll from Saturday’s extreme rain event in Beijing has climbed to at least 77, the Beijing municipal government said Thursday.

U.S. Drought Continues to Spread, Intensify

Drought 2012: Update July 19

Nearly two-thirds of Continental U.S. in drought condition

More than 42 percent of the lower 48 states were in SEVERE, EXTREME or EXCEPTIONAL Drought Conditions (D2-D4) as of July 17, 2012, a rise of over 5 percent since last week.

• As of July 17, 2012,  all of the Continental U.S. with the exception of Maine is experiencing Abnormally Dry or Drought Conditions (D0 -D4)  in full or in parts of the states, a situation which has since worsened due to lack of precipitation and a heat wave in the past two days.
• More than 81 percent of the Contiguous United States was Abnormally Dry or in Drought  Conditions (D0 – D4).

U.S. Drought Map for July 17, 2012, released July 19.

Comparison Maps for July 10 and July 17, 2012.

U.S. Drought Comparison Maps for July 3 and July 10, 2012.

U.S. Drought Comparison Maps for June 26 and July 3, 2012

Dryness and drought, exacerbated by above-normal temperatures, have been increasing both in extent and intensity across much of the central and northern U.S.  Source: NOAA/ NWS/ NCEP/ Climate Prediction Center

U.S. Weekly Precipitation Map

Latest Related Posts

• Another Heat Wave Grips America’s Heartland Posted July 18, 2012
• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S.  Posted July 17, 2012
• Drought and deluge 

Pakistan Floods: 6 Million Affected, 2 Million Sickened, 300 Dead

Flood-Related Diseases Plague Pakistan’s Sindh Province

At least two million people in Pakistan’s Sindh province are hit by water-borne diseases spread by torrential rains and severe flooding including  malaria and diarrhea.

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Disaster Calendar 2011 – September 15

[September 15, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,644 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Pakistan. Torrential rains and flooding in Pakistan have affected six million people, reports said.
• The death toll has climbed to 300, while millions have are reported homeless.
• At least two million people in Pakistan’s Sindh province are hit by water-borne diseases spread by torrential rains and severe flooding including  malaria and diarrhea, officials said.
• “More than 7,000 people are being treated for snake bites.
• More than half a million children under the age of five are especially at risk, the UN children’s agency spokesman in Pakistan said.
• “This is another huge flood that has hit Pakistan in less than a year so it’s really a double disaster. We have assessed 16 out of 22 districts and roughly 1.8 million people have left their homes and 750,000 are living in temporary sites.”
• More than 4.5 million acres of land have been affected by the torrential rain and flooding.
• About 60,000 cattle have died or disappeared.
• At least 400,000 homes have been completely destroyed, with up to a million more damaged.
• Sindh province was devastated by 2010 floods, which affected up to 25 million people, inundating about a fifth of the country and killing at least 2,000 people.
• Botswana. Death toll in Botswana’s diarrhea epidemic has climbed to 67, reports said.
• India. At least 26 people have died, 12 are reported as missing and 200,000 others have been evacuated following severe flooding in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, government officials said.
• Some 2.5 million people have been affected by the flooding.
• “The flood has inflicted damage on 31,000 houses in 13 districts. As many as 2.15 million people in 4,096 villages of 95 blocks and 16 urban local bodies have been affected by the current flood,” a report said.
• Joplin, Missouri, USA. Death toll from Joplin Tornado has climbed to 162. The devastating EF-5 tornado leveled Joplin on May 22, 2011, destroying about 9,000 homes and businesses.
• Lahore, Pakistan. Death toll in the Dengue fever outbreak in Lahore has climbed to 33, reports said.
• “So far more than 10,000 cases of dengue have been reported from Punjab, out of which over 4,400 are from Lahore …”
• USA. Seasonal Drought Outlook

Related Links

• Pakistan floods affect 5 million, killing at least 200

• 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