us Worst US drought since 1956 hits residents and crops

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Worst US drought since 1956 hits residents and crops

The US is currently suffering its widest drought since 1956, according to data released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

On Monday, NOAA reported that by the end of June 55% of the continental US was in a moderate to extreme drought.

Crops including corn and soybeans have been hit by the dry conditions, and several states have seen wildfires.

High temperatures across much of the country in June contributed to the spread of the drought.

As much as 80% of the US is abnormally dry, the report said, noting that the drought expanded in the West, Great Plains and Midwest areas.

June was the 14th warmest and 10th driest since records began, NOAA said.

Agriculture officials estimated that 30% of the corn crops planted in the 18 high-production states were in poor or very poor condition by last week.

"Topsoil has dried out and crops, pastures and rangeland have deteriorated at a rate rarely seen in the last 18 years," the report said.

Over 1,000 counties in 26 states have been declared disaster areas because of drought, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

Earlier, NOAA said that the last year in the continental US has been the country's hottest since modern record-keeping began in 1895.

Source: BBC News

[Growled Member]

Yep, been a bad year. Food prices will probably go through the roof.

[Bryan R.]

And yet here in Florida we had our first year in forever it seems that we weren't threatened to have fireworks banned this fourth of July.

[allknow]

Yep, been a bad year. Food prices will probably go through the roof.

contrary to popular belief in the US, there is countries outside your walls. Just like oil, food is a world commodity and is traded as such. The US produces only a small fraction of the worlds food, so any decrease in production won't drastically raise prices. Sure they may go up, but not much.

[DJGM]

Hey America ... care to swap your weather with ours in the UK for a few weeks? It's a bit **** over here right now, and you might

just be aware, there's a rather big important sports event taking place in London very soon that could do with some sunshine!

[Squirrelington]

The heat and dryness can gtfo. Im sick of 95f (35c) or higher days with no a/c. I should just sleep under my desk at work >.<. We had some sprinkles today but nothing really measurable where I am..

[Azies]

Having heat issues here, 95F today, and even though it always calls for thunderstorms, it never rains, it's gotten so bad that most of the grass is beginning to die out.

[CactuzJak]

we got our first rain here today in about 3 weeks and that only lasted about 20 minutes, was a hell of a storm though, before the storm hit it was 36C without the humidex

[Southern Patriot]

Hey America ... care to swap your weather with ours in the UK for a few weeks? It's a bit **** over here right now, and you might

just be aware, there's a rather big important sports event taking place in London very soon that could do with some sunshine!

While the west and midwest (where a lot of the food is produced here) has been having a drought, the southeast has been having massive amounts of rainfall, especially along the Gulf Coast.

[Southern Patriot]

contrary to popular belief in the US, there is countries outside your walls. Just like oil, food is a world commodity and is traded as such. The US produces only a small fraction of the worlds food, so any decrease in production won't drastically raise prices. Sure they may go up, but not much.

Yes, but the vast majority of the food consumed in the US is actually made from crops produced here. And importing food from other countries would also result in higher prices anyway (just as seafood prices here went up during the BP oil spill a while back, since more shrimp, etc. had to be imported). Either way, food prices here are quite likely to go up.

[jerzdawg]

Yea, really hope this is the last day of this heat... my phone temp currently says 99 degrees.. with a "Real Feel" of 113 degrees (guessing that is with the humidity taken into account). Shows 84 as the high for tomorrow.. .hopefully they are right!

[ahhell]

The heat and dryness can gtfo. Im sick of 95f (35c) or higher days with no a/c. I should just sleep under my desk at work >.<. We had some sprinkles today but nothing really measurable where I am..

So buy an air conditioner.

[Astra.Xtreme]

We had a brief 5 minute rain here this morning. First rain we've had here in about a month and a half. Dried up in about 10 minutes though. :pinch:

I bought some corn from the farmer's market this past weekend, and it was some of the smallest corn I've ever seen. The farmers are taking an absolute beating this year. I feel bad for them.

[DocM]

People tend to forget the US Southwest drought cycle, which sometimes is bad enough to hit the Midwest. The cycle length is ~60 years (+/- ~5 years), with maximum (wet) around 1918 and 1982 and a minimum (drought) in 1955-56. It's been ~56 years.

[theyarecomingforyou]

But at least the US government has recognised the significance of anthropogenic climate change and implemented a credible plan to reduce fossil fuel emissions, improve resource/energy efficiency, invest in infrastructure and migrate to renewable energy. :rofl:

[AdamLC]

Think all the rain must be in the UK atm! We started the year with a drought and now its the complete opposite! Months worth of rainfall everyday, its crazy!

[JonathanMarston]

People tend to forget the US Southwest drought cycle...

I think people just generally tend to forget everything that's ever happened before and act like whatever is happening right now is totally new and different...

[Squirrelington]

So buy an air conditioner.

An answer for everything! Do you want to buy me one? Sometimes bills have to come first.

[Rohdekill]

My grass has been dead for over 3 months. I think we measured a single inch of rain for the entire period. It's been so bad here the roads have buckled.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

Yeah, my lawn is absolutely ****ed. Going to have to basically totally redo it next year. not looking forward to it at all.

[+ir0nw0lf Subscriber²]

And yet here in Florida we had our first year in forever it seems that we weren't threatened to have fireworks banned this fourth of July.

Pensacola, FL here. We are >2x the rainfall to date here vs. last year. These crazy popup thunderstorms/showers on nearly a daily basis are truly annoying, but the grass/yards sure do love it! :woot:

[The Laughing Man]

Tornado warnings - Check

Hailing outside with 96 degree heat - Check

Yup feels like death here.

oh and its 98 degrees in my office

[DocM]

Michigan hasn't been hit, but then we're surrounded by the Great Lakes and are usually drenched all summer. I've had the kid cut our lawn 3 times this month already.

[allknow]

first world problems.... "OH NOES!!! MY GRASS!!!"

[Southern Patriot]

Think all the rain must be in the UK atm! We started the year with a drought and now its the complete opposite! Months worth of rainfall everyday, its crazy!

Florida was the same way. I saw on the Weather Channel the other day that they went from a drought to record high rainfall in the course of one month.