Stillwater and Yellowstone counties, Montana, declare drought disasters
Drought conditions created by unseasonably warm temperatures and below average precipitation has stunted crop growth to about 50 percent of normal.
Livestock feed on pasture is reduced by about 50 percent, while dry land hay production has suffered losses of about 85 percent, said an agricultural agent at Yellowstone County.
Total Weekly Precipitation (in)
Worst Drought Conditions Ever Reported
“I’ve never seen anything take hold quite this quickly. We are in mid-September conditions right now,” said Dave Kelsey who’s been farming and ranching in Yellowstone and Stillwater counties for 35 years.
Shrinking Crops
“Dryland hay production is estimated to be 15 percent of normal, and most of the dryland spring wheat is ‘not expected to make a harvestable grain crop,’ Stillwater’s resolution read. ‘Livestock pasture and range conditions are extremely poor due to lack of precipitation, excessive winds and grasshoppers.’” Said a report.
- Agriculture is Montana’s no. 1 industry.
Montana Wildfires
A dozen large wildfires in Montana have destroyed more than 100 structures and forced at least 1,000 people to flee their homes amid dry conditions in recent days. The fires include
- Ash Creek Complexhas consumed about 250,000 acres
- Pony Fire: 5,000 acres
- Horse Creek Fire: 8,000 acres
- Dahl Fire: 22,000 acres
- Bear Trap 2: 15,000 acres
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
- Kansas. Governor Brownback has updated the Drought Declaration for Kansas counties, amid worsening drought conditions throughout the Wheat State.
- The updated drought declaration covers all of the state’s 105 counties. A drought emergency is in effect for 36 counties, while 55 counties are in a warning status and the remaining 14 in watch status.“Dry, windy and above normal temperatures in Kansas have led to a Drought Emergency declaration for 36 counties,” said Brownback. “Below normal precipitation patterns are not only depleting available soil moisture, but these types of conditions have resulted in numerous fires as well.”
- Norton, Kansas, was the hottest location in the U.S. with 118 degrees (47.8ºC) last week, NCDC reported. Some 22 other locations across the state topped 110 degrees on Thursday June 28.
- Executive Order 12-08 – Governor Updates Drought Order for Kansas Counties
Kansas Drought Map (June 26, 2012)
Drought has returned to Kansas with 100.00% of the state reporting abnormally dry or drought conditions (D0 – D3) as of June 26, 2012.
- Florida. Six more counties have been added to the Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for Florida, state officials said. They are Clay, Franklin, Hernando, Highlands Pinellas and Suwanee counties.
- On Tuesday, the Disaster President declared major disaster areas in Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Pasco and Wakulla counties due to the damage and losses caused by tropical storm DEBBY.
- DEBBY landed on June 27 in Steinhatchee, Fla, dumping more than a foot of rain in some areas and causing major flooding across the state.
- Eastern U.S. A massive heat wave continues to affect the eastern two thirds of the U.S., breaking high temperature records from the Midwest to the East Coast, said NWS.
US Weather Hazards Map, July 5, 2012. Excessive Heat Warnings and
Heat Advisories were in effect throughout or in parts of at least 26 states, as of posting.
Mystery Illness Killing Cambodian Kids
See Global Alert in the next post.
Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background
- The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
- Back to the Primordial Future
- The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
- Mass Die-offs
- 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
- Mega Disasters
- 2011 Disaster Calendar
- 2012 Disaster Calendar
Fire Earth 