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| Epic Drought (Global) | |
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| Topic Started: Apr 20 2011, 09:29 AM (6,300 Views) | |
| Earendel | Apr 20 2011, 09:29 AM Post #1 |
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This year there will be drought, like last year there were floods. Arable lands turned into dust-bowls, while the desert blooms. SOMALIA: “Worst drought in a lifetime” NAIROBI, 20 April 2011 (IRIN) - Officials and aid workers in Somalia's Middle Shabelle region have raised the alarm over the plight of drought-stricken villagers urgently needing food and water.  Photo: WOCCA "We are experiencing the worst drought we have seen in decades; since the beginning of March, we have buried 54 people who died from the effects of the drought, seven of them today [20 April],” said Ali Barow, leader of the small town of Guulane, 220km northeast of Mogadishu, the Somali capital. Read more: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportID=92536 Severe Drought Plagues Texas March 2011: Driest On Record For Texas The raging wildfires across West Texas are just one of the effects of the severe drought plaguing Texas. Since January 1st, Abilene has gotten just over two inches of rain, less than half what we normally see. According to NOAA, this March was the driest March on record for all of Texas. The drought that we're experiencing right now looks similar to the 2006 drought in Texas, according to Taylor County Extension Agent Robert Pritz. "You can always tell the severity of the drought, when you start comparing it to earlier droughts, and this one compares very well to some of the ones we've had earlier," said Pritz. The dry conditions that started this October in the Big Country probably aren't going anywhere soon. In fact the Climate Prediction Center's outlook expects drought conditions to persist or intensify through June. Read more: http://www.ktxs.com/news/27604027/detail.html Texas burning 'from border to border' By the CNN Wire Staff April 20, 2011 10:23 a.m. EDT A wildfire threatens a house near Possum Kingdom, Texas, Tuesday, April 19, 2011. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Smoke rises from an uncontrolled wildfire burning near Possum Kingdom, Texas, Tuesday, April 19, 2011. (AP Photo/LM Otero) Dallas (CNN) -- Texas firefighters Wednesday battled blazes that have scorched a million acres and have been burning for more than a week, according to the Texas Forest Service. "We're actually seeing Texas burn from border to border. We've got it in west Texas, in east Texas, in north Texas, in south Texas -- it's all over the state," Texas Forest Service spokeswoman April Saginor told CNN Radio. "We've got one in the Dallas area that's four fires that have actually merged together." Saginor said firefighters from 34 states are now in Texas battling blazes that, over the past two weeks, have destroyed more than 170 homes. "Some (fires) are over 100,000 acres and they've been burning for over a week, so that's our priority right now," Saginor said, "to put out the big ones."... ...Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/20/texas.fires/index.html?hpt=T1 |
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| Earendel | Aug 9 2011, 11:20 PM Post #91 |
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Drought Cripples the South: Why the 'Creeping Disaster' Could Get a Whole Lot Worse By BRYAN WALSH Tuesday, Aug. 09, 2011  A weed grows out of the dr,y cracked bed of O.C. Fisher Lake on July 25, 2011, in San Angelo, Texas. The 5,440-acre (2,200 hectares) lake, which was established to provide flood control and serve as a secondary drinking-water source for San Angelo and surrounding communities, is now dry following an extended drought in the region Scott Olson / Getty Images ...This summer, the python has gripped much of the South, from the burned fringes of Arizona — singed by record-breaking wildfires — to usually swampy Georgia. Ground zero is Texas... Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2087504,00.html#ixzz1Ub9eKI7Z Relentless drought extending toll to wildlife Heat marks set in Texas, Okla.  The head of the water and sewer department in Robert Lee, Texas, had a long walk across the dried bed of Lake E.V. Spence last weekend, when he was checking whether it was again time to relocate a pump feeding water into the city’s reservoir. (Tony Gutierrez/ Associated Press) By Ramit Plushnick-Masti Associated Press / August 9, 2011 ...The extreme dry conditions have been made worse by week after week of triple-digit temperatures that have caused reservoirs to evaporate. Already, some rivers and lakes are at lows not seen since the 1950s - the decade when Texas suffered its worst drought in recorded history. And in some cases, bodies of water are at their lowest points ever recorded, said Joseph Capesius, chief of the Austin field unit for the US Geological Survey. Of the state’s 3,700 streams, 15 major rivers, and more than 200 reservoirs, at least seven reservoirs are effectively empty... Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2011/08/09/relentless_drought_extending_toll_to_wildlife/ State sets heat records as drought intensifies COLLEGE STATION - As Texas continues to bake in record heat, the drought news for the state continues to be bleak - Texas is now in the midst of its most severe one-year drought on record, according to John Nielsen-Gammon, the Texas State Climatologist and professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M University... Read more: http://www.bullardnews.com/news/2011-08-10/News/State_sets_heat_records_as_drought_intensifies.html Record-setting heat, lack of rain prompt actions Posted: Tuesday, August 9, 2011 3:08 pm Ed Sterling | Texas is suffering through the most severe one-year drought on record and experienced the hottest July in state history, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples announced on Aug. 4. Drought-caused damage to the Texas economy "is already measured in billions of dollars and continues to mount," Staples said. "I cannot stress enough the critical need for forage to sustain the largest cattle herd in the nation. The suffering and desperate need for relief grows with the rising temperatures and record-breaking heat that continue to scorch Texas with each passing day."... Read more: http://www.coloradocountycitizen.com/opinion/article_94205632-c2c3-11e0-b1eb-001cc4c002e0.html |
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| Earendel | Aug 17 2011, 05:56 PM Post #92 |
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Drought in Guizhou Province Destroys Harvest Experts Say World Will Feel Record Texas Drought Greg Flakus | Houston, Texas August 17, 2011 Photo: AP/LM Otero A dead fish lays near sailboats left high and dry at Benbrook Lake in Benbrook, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011 A report issued Wednesday by the Texas Agrilife Extension Service, an agency of the southwestern state, indicates that this year's drought in Texas is among the worst on record and that agricultural production has fallen because of it. That is bad news for consumers around the world... Read more: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Experts-Say-World-Will-Feel-Record-Texas-Drought-127971468.html SAMOA IN GRIP OF SEVERE DROUGHT Some taps dry, search on for new water sources WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Aug.16, 2011) – Samoa is facing a severe drought and water is very scarce in the country. The chief executive of the Samoa Water Authority, Moefaauo Titimaea, says severe drought conditions have caused a shortage of water. He says the authority is trying it’s best to accumulate and store water from sources in order to have enough supplies... Read more: http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2011/August/08-17-06.htm Drought continues to parch southern China Xinhua, August 17, 2011  Drought continues to parch southern China A lingering drought is expected to continue in China's southern provinces over the next three days, according to local meteorological stations. More than 30 counties or cities in southwest China's Guizhou Province were suffering from severe drought as of Tuesday morning. The provincial meteorological station continued to issue an orange drought alert Tuesday, the second-highest level. Temperatures in some places could reach as high as 35 to 37 degrees Celsius over the next three days... Read more: http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2011-08/17/content_23225185.htm 2011 Horn of Africa famine  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A famine is occurring in several regions in the Horn of Africa as a result of a severe drought that is affecting the entire Eastern Africa region. The drought, said to be "the worst in 60 years", has caused a severe food crisis across Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya that threatens the livelihood of more than 12 million people. A large number of refugees from southern Somalia have fled to neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia, where crowded, unsanitary conditions together with severe malnutrition have led to a large number of deaths. Other countries in and around the Horn of Africa, including Djibouti, Sudan, South Sudan and parts of Uganda, are also affected by a food crisis... Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Horn_of_Africa_famine Drought costs Texas farmers $5.2B Houston Business Journal Date: Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 11:05am CDT  This year’s drought in Texas has become the most costly on record, leading to $5.2 billion in agricultural losses, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service economists. This year’s drought in Texas has become the most costly on record, leading to $5.2 billion in agricultural losses, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service economists... Read more: http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2011/08/17/drought-costs-texas-farmers-52b.html 'Exceptional' Oklahoma drought has killed 16, burned 250 million acres, and broken 1,400 water mains Read: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/16/139664424/heat-drought-pressure-oklahomas-water-supplies Photos: Texas drought has caused record losses in crops and livestock Posted Aug 17, 2011 LUBBOCK, Texas - The blistering drought in Texas has caused an estimated record $5.2 billion in crop and livestock losses, and could go higher, state agriculture officials said Wednesday... A buoy sits high and dry at Benbrook Lake in Benbrook, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011. As the summer months and heat wears on, extreme drought conditions continue throughout the state will little chance of rain in the coming days to offer relief for this reservoir south of Fort Worth and other lakes in the state. (AP Photo/LM Otero) In this July 22, 2011, file photo a corn stalk is seen near a field being harvested for feed corn in Hondo, Texas. Texas agriculture officials said Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2011, that estimated crop and livestock losses from the blistering drought are a record $5.2 billion, and could go higher. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Read more: http://photos.denverpost.com/mediacenter/2011/08/photos-texas-drought-has-caused-record-losses-in-crops-and-livestock/#3 |
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| Earendel | Sep 2 2011, 11:13 AM Post #93 |
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Kenya drought crisis leads to starvation, soaring food prices SEP 2, 2011 - by Lynn Herrmann  Nairobi - Kenya's worst drought in 60 years has left millions of people desperate for food and water as food prices skyrocket, hundreds of thousands of head of livestock have died, and lack of basic sanitation needs have led to the world's worst food crisis. As parts of western Africa deal with devastating floodwaters from torrential rains, regions in East Africa are dealing with a drought of catastrophic proportions, with millions of people on the verge of starvation... Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/311033 Drought intensifies in the South, no end in sight The dried south fork of Lake Arlington is seen near Bowman Springs Park, where park personnel indicated the water level was nine feet below normal, in Arlington, Texas August 5, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Mike Stone By Carey Gillam KANSAS CITY, Missouri | Thu Sep 1, 2011 3:32pm EDT (Reuters) - Record-breaking triple-digit temperatures were prolonging a devastating drought that has been baking the South and the dry spell could extend into next year and beyond, climate experts said on Thursday. "Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse... Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/01/us-drought-usa-idUSTRE7805CT20110901 81% of Texas at worst drought level The state’s most severe drought since the 1950s has created optimal conditions for wildfires like the current blaze west of Fort Worth. News DeskSeptember 1, 2011 19:30 High temperatures and a lack of rain have created a state-wide drought in Texas, with more than four-fifths of the state in the worst drought stage, according to a report issued on Thursday. The U.S. Drought Monitor released a map of Texas that showed 81.08 percent of the state in exceptional drought, The Associated Press reports... Read more: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/110901/texas-worst-drought-monitor-possum-kingdom-lake-fort-worth Severe Drought Depleting Crops in Southwest China Severe drought in southwest China has already dwindled the water supply for millions of people. Now residents in Guizhou and Yunnan provinces are facing another challenge - depleted food supplies. Locals say the dry weather has affected normal crop yields, sending food prices skyrocketing. [Ms. Wang, Farmer from Yunnan Province]: "We don't have water, fish and grains have all died. The drought is worse than last year. The wells have dried up. We can't harvest anything. There's high inflation, vegetables are hundreds of times more expensive than before." In Guizhou province, 5.5-million people are facing water shortages, according to state-run media... Read more: http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/news_china/2011-09-01/severe-drought-depleting-crops-in-southwest-china.html Near-record dry August widens drought in Alabama  Drought grips the Birmingham metro area after a nearly record-dry August that has wilted shrubs, parched lawns and dried up stream beds... Read more: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/09/near-record_dry_august_widens.html Extreme Drought Spreads to North Ga. Last Updated on Thursday, 01 September 2011 12:40  ATHENS - Extreme drought conditions now cover most of Georgia south of the mountains. Extreme drought is the next to highest drought category. All counties in Georgia are now classified as being in moderate, severe or extreme drought. All counties south of Carroll, Douglas, south Fulton, Clayton, Henry, Rockdale, Walton, eastern Barrow, eastern Jackson, Madison, and Elbert counties, inclusive, are now classified in extreme drought. Across north Georgia, the counties of Dade, Fannin, Union, Towns, Rabun, Gilmer Lumpkin, White, Habersham, Pickens, Dawson Hall, Forsyth, north Fulton and north Gwinnett are classified in moderate drought. Moderate drought is the lowest drought category. The remaining counties in north Georgia are classified as being in severe drought... Read more: http://wugatv.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10411:extreme-drought-spreads-to-north-ga&catid=37:state-and-local-news&Itemid=57 China issues emergency response to fight drought in Sichuan By PNA / Xinhua and U.S. News Agency / Asian Authorities in China on Wednesday launched emergency response plans to battle the severe drought in Sichuan Province that has affected 7.09 million people so far. The National Commission for Disaster Reduction and the Ministry of Civil Affairs have dispatched working teams to help with relief work. According to statistics from provincial civil affairs authorities, 41 counties in nine cities have been affected by the drought since July... Read more: http://www.usnewslasvegas.com/foreign/asian-nations/china-issues-emergency-response-to-fight-drought-in-sichuan/ Drought conditions worsen Dow Jones Newswires 09/01/2011 @ 12:02pm  Drought conditions increased across the US in week ended August 30, with heat and limited moisture maintaining or worsening drought conditions across Central and Southern US. Despite experiencing near-, or in some cases, below-normal temperatures, drought intensity increased in many primary growing areas of the Ohio Valley and Midwest, according to a federal weekly drought monitor. In Texas and southern Oklahoma, drought intensified, with vast majority of Texas and Oklahoma facing an exceptional drought... Read more: http://www.agriculture.com/news/crops/drought-conditions-wsen_2-ar18923 Texas drought tough on ranchers  By Mark Sobhani for USA TODAY 8/31/2011 If rain doesn't fall soon, fourth-generation rancher Sam Epperson may be looking for a new line of work. Here, a pen is full of calves that were recently purchased by Epperson, who is trying to replenish his stock. Read more: http://mediagallery.usatoday.com/Texas-drought-tough-on-ranchers/G2672,A10060 Texas Drought: People and Animals in 100 Degree Heat By GINA SUNSERI HOUSTON, Sept. 2, 2011 Coyotes are stealing watermelons from backyard gardens, bees are attacking joggers trying to quench their thirst from drinking fountains, fighting for precious drops of water. Texas state officials are planning now how to evacuate several endangered species at risk because of the record drought. The state is home to 86 threatened species. Parched skies and relentless 100 degree heat are turning this summer into one of the worst in history... Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/texas-drought-heatwave-continues-people-hope-hurricane-brings/story?id=14431205 |
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| Earendel | Sep 3 2011, 08:48 PM Post #94 |
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Last year India flooded, this year they have drought - arable lands turned into dustbowls... 16 Orissa districts face drought Posted: Sun Sep 04 2011, 03:17 hrs Bhubaneswar: Orissa on Saturday declared drought-like situation in 16 of its 30 districts. Last year, 17 districts were hit by drought. CM Naveen Patnaik, who reviewed crop-loss due to lack of timely rains in July and August, said a drought-like situation prevailed in 16 districts despite rains in late August... Read more: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/16-Orissa-districts-face-drought/841377/ Drought likely to kill millions of Houston trees Losses due to drought expected to hurt air quality, make it hotter By ROBERT STANTON and CAROL CHRISTIAN, HOUSTON CHRONICLE Updated 08:22 p.m., Friday, September 2, 2011 Pine trees at the intersection of the Woodlands Parkway and Gosling Road appear to be stressed. Photo: For The Chronicle, Jerry Baker / HC Houston and Texas Millions of trees in the Houston area are likely to perish due to the drought gripping the state, potentially worsening air quality problems, destroying wildlife habitat and making the area warmer, experts said. The most dire prediction came from Barry Ward, executive director of the nonprofit Trees for Houston, who estimated that 66 million trees - about 10 percent of the entire canopy in the eight-county Houston area - would die within two years as a result of the worst drought in Houston's history... Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Drought-likely-to-kill-millions-of-Houston-trees-2153585.php EPIC DROUGHT: Ranchers struggling to find hay for cattle  LAURA McKENZIE/Herald-Zeitung Posted: Saturday, September 3, 2011 7:43 pm By Betty Taylor New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung | 0 comments NEW BRAUNFELS — Most farmers and ranchers are familiar with the old ant proverb about gathering food in the summer to prepare for winter. But what happens when a drought comes along so big and so widespread that any amount of preparation made now seems futile?... Read more: http://herald-zeitung.com/news/local_news/article_c990e4ce-d68e-11e0-bd3d-001cc4c002e0.html Somalia Famine Expected To Worsen The eastern Horn of Africa is experiencing the worst drought in the past 60 years, and it is expected to worsen.  Photo: Reuters Women wait for medical care at Camp Seyidka, a camp for displaced people, in Mogadishu, Somalia, August 19, 2011 The eastern Horn of Africa is experiencing the worst drought in the past 60 years, and the resulting famine is considered to be the worst in a generation. Somalia has been the hardest hit. But food shortages are being experienced in neighboring countries as well, with some 12.4 million people across the Horn of Africa having been affected by the food crisis. But the bad news is that the situation will get worse... Read more: http://www.voanews.com/policy/editorials/Somalia-Famine-Expected-To-Worsen-129135528.html Dry Texas expected to again miss out on rain from storm  updated 9/2/2011 4:24:04 PM ET SAN ANTONIO - As Louisiana prepares for the drenching rains of Tropical Storm Lee, no more than a few sprinkles are expected over the long holiday weekend next door in Texas, which is suffering from an historic drought... ...The record drought and record heat are feeding on each other across Texas, as the pounding sun beats down on a dry landscape. First July, and then August, have been the two hottest months in the state's history. Some Texas residents are wishing Tropical Storm Lee would veer toward them as long as it is not too severe. "We could really use the rain," said Jeff Sauerwein, Assistant Manager of Tookie's Burgers, a landmark in the Texas Gulf Coast town of Seabrook... Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44377269/ns/us_news/t/dry-texas-expected-again-miss-out-rain-storm/#.TmJWhrLlYw8 |
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| Earendel | Sep 5 2011, 09:44 PM Post #95 |
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Australia How Bad is the Drought in Texas September 5, 2011 7:20 PM PDT As I've been living in Austin, Texas, for a while, I thought I would report on the Texas drought situation first hand. How bad is the drought situation here? It's critically bad, actually. Even the wildlife are facing starvation and dying of thirst. I saw some wild pigs the other night (they're quite common throughout Texas), and they looked like they were barely surviving in a state of near-starvation... Read more: http://ca.ibtimes.com/articles/208888/20110905/how-bad-is-the-drought-in-texas-really.htm Drought hits China's largest fresh water lake Updated: 2011-09-05 17:03 (chinadaily.com.cn)  A fishing boat sits on a dry river bed on one section of Poyang Lake, China's largest fresh water lake, in Jiangxi province, on Sept 4, 2011, after a severe drought. The water level of the lake declined, shrinking the water area to 1,340 square kilometers, less than half the average 3,419 square kilometers measured during the same time of past years. The Poyang Lake entered the low water season, two months ahead of normal.[Photo/CFP] Read more: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/photo/2011-09/05/content_13623605.htm Catastrophic fires strike Central Texas  Flames engulf a house in the Steiner Ranch subdivision in Austin on Sunday Sept. 4, 2011. The blaze destroyed dozens of homes and forced hundreds to evacuate. High winds and the drought also fueled fires in Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Bastrop County and Spicewood. Photos by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman Wildfires rip through sun-scorched Texas By the CNN Wire Staff September 5, 2011 10:56 p.m. EDT  Wildfire prompts evacuations in Texas Bastrop, Texas (CNN) -- Firefighters southeast of Austin, Texas, battled strong winds Monday as they struggled to gain ground against a fast-moving wildfire that has so far scorched some 25,000 acres and destroyed close to 500 homes.  Another fire in eastern Texas killed a mother and her 18-month-old child when flames engulfed their mobile home Sunday near Gladewater, the Gregg County Sheriff's Department said. "We got a long way to go to get this thing contained," Gov. Rick Perry said... Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/09/05/texas.fires/index.html?hpt=us_c1 TV cameras depart but drought and famine worsen  Actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow meets a severely malnourished child at the Dadaab refugee camp in northeastern Kenya. (Aug. 26, 2011) DADAAB, KENYA—CNN’s Anderson Cooper and the other A-list TV journalists are long gone from Dadaab refugee camp on the Somali border. The huge satellite dish, which enabled live broadcasts, was packed up last week and trucked away. Relief workers told us their hearts sank as the dish departed. Much more than a journalistic tool, it had been a beacon of hope. As long as the stories of drought and death were being transmitted, help would surely come: donations, food, and the world’s compassion. But what will happen now? This is still the most desperate place on Earth, and the situation is deteriorating... Read more: http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1048900--tv-cameras-depart-but-drought-and-famine-worsen Texas Burning: 'It's a Monster, and It's Zero Percent Contained' The largest wildfire currently burning in the state began Sunday afternoon in Bastrop County and has blackened more than 14,000 acres, caused over 5,000 people to evacuate and damaged or destroyed at least 300 homes, according to fire officials. The 16 miles wide and four miles long blaze, southeast of Austin, continues to rage unchecked. "It's a monster, and it's zero percent contained," said Texas Forest Service spokeswoman Jan Amen... Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-burning-wildfires-prompt-gov-perry-return/story?id=14449958 750,000 Somalis may die due to worsening drought Tuesday, 6 September, 2011 - 14:07 The United Nations estimates up to 750,000 people may die as a result of the drought and subsequent famine in Somalia. That figure eclipses the death toll of the Asian tsunami and Haiti earthquake combined. The warning comes as famine is declared in a sixth region of Somalia. The UN says over 58% of people in the Bay area are acutely malnourished. That's almost double the rate at which famine is officially declared (30%). "Though the famine was expected to spread to more regions in Somalia, the situation in the Bay area - a landlocked southern province - is worse than anything previously recorded" ... Read more: http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/750000-somalis-may-die-due-worsening-drought/5/100572 Texas' unprecedented heat For as long as people have been taking weather measurements in Texas, there has never been a summer hotter than the summer of 2011. As wunderground's weather historian Christopher C. Burt documents in his latest blog post, seventeen major cities in Texas recorded their hottest summer on record in 2011. Most of these stations had records extending back more than 100 years, and several of the records were smashed by an amazing 3.4°F--at Lubbock and at Wichita Falls. Neighboring states also experienced unprecedented heat, with Oklahoma recording America's hottest month by any state in recorded history during July, and Shreveport, Louisiana breaking its record for hottest month by 3°F in August. Mr. Burt commented to me: " I do not believe I have ever seen a site with a long period of record, like Shreveport, where records go back to 1874, break its warmest single month on record by an astonishing 3°. This is unheard of... Read more: http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1917&page=2 Drought continues in China's southwest sugar area BEIJING, Sept 6 (Reuters) - China's agriculture ministry said some 3.23 million hectares of crops were suffering from ongoing drought conditions in the country's southwest, the main sugar-growing region, with no letup in the dry, hot weather. The ministry said the damage to grains was limited as of Sept. 5 and affected northern parts of the Guangxi region -- which accounts for 60 percent of China's sugar output -- eastern Yunnan province, most areas of Guizhou and parts of Chongqing and Sichuan. The lingering drought has prompted analysts to estimate the country's sugar deficit will widen... Read more: http://www.sharenet.co.za/news/Drought_continues_in_Chinas_southwest_sugar_area/4bd0dd171edaa6e15b7972bd65aa4f88 |
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| Earendel | Nov 30 2011, 10:26 PM Post #96 |
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Warming-Enhanced Texas Drought Is Once in “500 or 1,000 Years … Basically Off the Charts,” Says State Climatologist By Stephen Lacey on Nov 30, 2011 at 2:30 pm  “With no previous points so dry it’s hard to say exactly what history would say about a summer such as this one. Except that this summer is way beyond the previous envelope of summer temperature and precipitation.” — Texas State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/11/30/378412/texas-drought-historic-off-the-charts-says-state039s-climatologist/ Snowless Scandinavians wonder ‘where's winter?’ This fall on track to become one of the warmest on record Posted by Jim at Tuesday, November 29, 2011  STOCKHOLM, November 24 (AP) – For some reason, Scandinavia is not its frigid self, with unusually warm weather delaying the onset of winter in northern latitudes normally decked in white. The lack of snow has been bad news for winter sports — World Cup ski races have been dropped, or held on artificial snow, and mountain ski resorts are unable to open. There are even reports of bird song and blooming gardens in some places typically entering the winter freeze at this time of year. "Some flowers, like roses, have actually begun to blossom for a second time," said Mats Rosenberg, a biologist in Orebro, south-central Sweden... Read more: http://www.desdemonadespair.net/2011/11/snowless-scandinavians-wonder-where.html Historic Texas drought could leave lasting impact By Anna Werner (CBS News) by Anna Werner On Tuesday, the drought in Texas was declared the worst in a century, across nearly the whole state. The drought ranges from severe to exceptional. It is expected to last until next summer. But as CBS News correspondent Anna Werner reports, the damage could go on for years... ..."When you turn on an oven for 80-90 days that we had dry," said Wilson, "it's like baking anything that's outside." "It was basically off the charts," said John Nielsen-Gammon, a climatologist for the state of Texas. "Based on past history, you wouldn't expect to see it happen in maybe 500 or a 1,000 years. Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57333313/historic-texas-drought-could-leave-lasting-impact/ Drought fears after low winter rain levels By Daniel Boettcher Environment Correspondent  The unseasonably mild weather of late has seen springtime daffodils coming up in November The drought that has affected parts of England since June could last into next summer if there is insufficient winter rain, the Environment Agency has said. Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman says water companies need to prepare now for the possibility.... Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15972810 A Town in Texas: This is How it Ends  Once a thriving recreational lake and source of water for the town of Robert Lee, Texas, the E.V. Spence Reservoir is now a brackish puddle. They are starting to think seriously about abandoning the west Texas town of Robert Lee because it is about to run out of water. Too strong? Okay, to be exact, some of Robert Lee’s 1,049 people have moved away, and more are thinking about leaving before the water runs out... Read more: http://www.dailyimpact.net/2011/11/01/a-town-in-west-texas-this-is-how-it-ends/ Water Scientists say Brace for Impact  A cow’s carcass in Northern Kenya, photographed last week, testifies to the reality of what happens when the water runs out. And it is running out. (Photo courtesy CIAT The International Center for Tropical Agriculture/Flickr) ...The tightening water supplies threaten the lives of millions of people now, and many more millions in the near future. The grim reality of that has not yet become apparent to the industrialized world, which is highly tolerant of the deaths of poor people. But it is not just their end of the boat that is sinking — or, to adjust the metaphor, running aground. Consider: - Drought in Texas has reduced the cotton crop enough to cut into profits at The Gap by (a projected) 22 per cent; - Kraft, Sara Lee and Nestle have announced increases in the prices of their food-like products largely because of drought; - Depleted reservoirs threaten the water supplies of major American cities such as Las Vegas and Atlanta, and have reduced the amount of hydroelectric power produced in China this year by one quarter. As with other major threats to the continued existence of life as we know it... Read more: http://www.dailyimpact.net/2011/10/26/water-scientists-say-brace-for-impact/ Mexico experiencing worst drought in 70 years, gov't says Mexico City – Mexico is suffering its worst drought in the past 70 years, a dearth of rainfall that has forced the government to supply water to nearly 2.5 million people, the Social Development Secretariat said. The natural disaster is mainly affecting the northern states of Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Guanajuato and Zacatecas... Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2011/11/24/mexico-experiencing-worst-drought-in-70-years-govt-says/#ixzz1fFtPQh2s |
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| Earendel | Jan 9 2012, 01:55 PM Post #97 |
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Where's winter?... Texas Governor Renews Drought Disaster Declaration January 9, 2012 Gov. Rick Perry has renewed a proclamation declaring Texas a disaster due to the drought. Perry renewed the proclamation on Dec. 27, a year after he initially declared the drought a disaster. The proclamation allows municipalities to apply for state assistance in dealing with the drought’s impacts, including fighting and recovering from wildfires. Perry's proclamation says all counties in the state are plagued by extreme drought conditions and are vulnerable to wildfires... Read more: http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2012/01/09/230473.htm In Texas' worst drought on record, trees dying by the millions  Ron Billings / Texas Forest Service via AP Drought stricken trees are visible in a residential area in Austin, Texas. The full effect of Texas' record-breaking drought and scorching hot summer on the state's trees will be revealed next spring, with a changed landscape emerging in many places. By Julie Tam, NBCDFW.com The National Weather Service has officially declared last year as the driest on record in Texas and the second hottest. Meteorologists predict the situation won't improve much this year. That means water restrictions will continue, and we'll lose millions of trees. Record-setting heat and little rain in 2011 has left North Texas in a severe drought. The water level at Lake Lavon is down 12 feet... Read more: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/07/10038669-in-texas-worst-drought-on-record-trees-dying-by-the-millions Argentine Drought May Be Worst for Crops in Over 70 Years By Laura Price - Jan 6, 2012 12:43 PM MT Dry weather that’s hurting soybean and corn crops in Argentina may cause more damage than the 2008-2009 drought that was the worst in 70 years, a farming group said today, disputing a government statement. The current spell of hot, dry weather covers more area and started earlier in the season than the previous drought... Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-06/argentine-drought-may-be-worst-for-crops-in-more-than-70-years.html |
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| Earendel | Jan 9 2012, 02:06 PM Post #98 |
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U.S. Snow Drought Could Have Serious Implications More than affecting ski resorts, the lack of snow could spell trouble for water supplies and agriculture By Meghan Evans and AccuWeather | January 5, 2012 | The snow drought across the U.S. so far this winter has raised questions about impacts on water supply, ski resorts and agriculture. Only 22 percent of the nation was covered by snow on Jan. 4, 2012... ...Snow Drought's Agricultural Implications The lack of snowcover across portions of the Midwest might spell "big trouble" for winter wheat yield later this year. Read more: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=us-snow-drought-serious-implications Snow drought forces Colorado to face frightening new climate-change reality Ski industry woes pale compared to wildfire risk, looming water shortages By David O. Williams Monday, January 09, 2012 at 9:10 am Just a year after record snowfall throughout much of the Rocky Mountain West, the region is locked in a snow drought not seen since Jimmy Carter surrendered the White House to Ronald Reagan in the early 1980s. "We have had some very unusual weather so far this season," Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz said Friday. "For the first time in 30 years, a lack of snow has not allowed us to open the back bowls in Vail as of January 6, 2012, and, for the first time since the late 1800s, it did not snow at all in Tahoe in December."... Read more: http://coloradoindependent.com/109613/snow-drought-forces-colorado-to-face-frightening-new-climate-change-reality |
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| Earendel | Jan 22 2012, 06:50 PM Post #99 |
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Ukraine Drought Hurts 33% of Winter Grains, Researcher Says By Kateryna Choursina Jan. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Drought in Ukraine damaged about 33 percent of the country’s winter grains, according to UkrAgroConsult. About 2.3 million hectares (5.7 million acres) of sprouted plants were in poor condition as of Jan. 12, Liza Malyshko, a grain analyst at the Kiev-based agricultural researcher, said today by phone... Read more: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-17/ukraine-drought-hurts-33-of-winter-grains-researcher-says.html Argentine Drought May Be Worst for Crops in More Than 70 Years Jan. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Dry weather that’s hurting crops in Argentina may cause more damage than the 2008-2009 drought that was the worst in 70 years, a farming group said today, disputing a government statement. The current spell of hot, dry weather covers more area and started earlier in the season than the previous drought, the Argentine Association of Regional Consortia for Agricultural Experimentation said in an e-mailed statement today... Read more: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-09/argentine-drought-may-be-worst-for-crops-in-more-than-70-years.html Argentine Corn Farmers Prepare for Heatwave as Crops Shrivel By Rodrigo Orihuela and Laura Price (Updates with state of emergency in fourth paragraph.) Jan. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Corn farmers in Argentina, the world's second-largest exporter of the grain, are forecast to receive "very little" rain over coming days as a renewed heat wave pushes temperatures toward 100 degrees Fahrenheit. "The outlook isn’t encouraging... Read more: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-18/argentine-corn-farmers-prepare-for-heatwave-as-crops-shrivel.html Drought hits Latin American crops By Samantha Pearson in Cambará and Jude Webber in San Antonio de Areco  San Antonio de Areco, in Argentina's corn belt In a normal year, the plants would be the farmer's height Driving through Paraná’s lush green hills in the drizzle, it is hard to believe that the southern Brazilian state is suffering one of the worst droughts of the past decade. The view is deceptive, says César Cheida from the Integrada farming co-operative, as he examines a soyabean plantation near the town of Cambará. “This isn’t rain. It’s not even enough to get the ground wet,” he scoffs...  Drought-stunted soya plants in southern Brazil Across the south of Brazil, farmers have already written off swaths of their corn crop, but are still hoping for rain to salvage some of their soyabean, which has just started to form pods. “[Our soya forecasts] could still improve a little bit, but in the case of corn there’s no chance,”... Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/19e05aa4-411a-11e1-8c33-00144feab49a.html#axzz1kElbrtBi Argentina ‘Disastrous’ Drought http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-20/argentina-corn-soy-forecasts-cut-on-disastrous-drought.html |
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| Earendel | Jan 31 2012, 12:43 PM Post #100 |
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Food Crisis as Drought and Cold Hit Mexico  Alejandro Bringas/European Pressphoto Agency Indigenous Tarahumara drove to another community to receive humanitarian aid in the midst of a drought. By KARLA ZABLUDOVSKY Published: January 30, 2012 MEXICO CITY - A drought that a government official called the most severe Mexico had ever faced has left two million people without access to water and, coupled with a cold snap, has devastated cropland in nearly half of the country. Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/world/americas/drought-and-cold-snap-cause-food-crisis-in-northern-mexico.html Disaster declared for drought-stricken El Paso Co. farmers January 30, 2012 7:30 PM R. SCOTT RAPPOLD  Photo by Kevin Kreck Southern Colorado farmers and ranchers have been battling drought conditions on and off since 2002, the year this photo was taken near Simla. It’s a crisis facing many who live off the land in drought-stricken southern Colorado. Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a disaster declaration for El Paso County and nine other Colorado counties. A similar designation was made last summer, and what rain fell since seems to have nourished the tumbleweed but little else. “If we don’t get something in March to start the grass, a lot of decisions are going to have to be made... Read more: http://www.gazette.com/news/paso-132623-disaster-drought.html Drought risks hurting Ivorian cocoa output Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:24pm GMT REUTERS/Luc Gnago A farmer walks between rows of cocoa plants in a farm in Bonoua in the east of Ivory Coast July 11. ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Lack of rains coupled with hot weather last week in most of Ivory Coast's cocoa growing regions extended a dry season that could trim cocoa output as the top grower enters the last stage of its main crop harvest, farmers said on Monday. The lack of rains could also delay the start of and hurt the quality of the April-September mid-crop. An unusually long season of the dry harmattan winds since November has undermined Ivorian cocoa production during the tail-end of the main crop. Read more: http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE80T07K20120130 Brazil drought worse than feared John Walter 01/30/2012 @ 9:16am  New reports from Brazil's Parana state, a leading corn and soybean producing area in the southern part of the the country, say that the drought there is "worse-than-expected," according to a Dow Jones Newswires story Monday. Parana is Brazil's leading corn grower and second leading soybean producer. "The western part of Parana, near the border with Paraguay, has been particularly affected," says Agroconsult's Fabio Meneghin. "I didn't expect it to be so bad," Meneghin said, based on a tour of the region... Read more: http://www.agriculture.com/news/crops/brazil-drought-wse-th-feared_2-ar21867 Drought forces Texas town to truck in water  An August 2011 photo shows a dried up pond in Amarillo, Texas. (AP) (AP) SPICEWOOD - Tanker trucks loaded with water have become the lifeline for a Texas lakefront village that came precariously close to becoming the state's first community to run out of drinking water during a historic drought. Spicewood got its first delivery of water Monday... Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57368714/drought-forces-texas-town-to-truck-in-water/ S. America drought hits corn yields JANUARY 31, 2012 7:32 AM RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 31 (UPI) — Drought in Central and South America is affecting corn yields, a boon for U.S. corn exporters but a cause of major worries for agriculture traders in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Mexico.  Pedra Fina, Brazil, July 2010 - 16, Corn field that dried up before it could yield a crop. Photo by Columbia Water Center, CC BY-NC 2.0 ...Argentina is the world’s second largest corn exporter after the United States. Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is facing farmer unrest over allegations her government’s relief program is too little too late for many communities affected by drought... Read more: http://outcomemag.com/business/2012/01/31/s-america-drought-hits-corn-yields/ Snow drought continues By: PATRICK MCKEE | WSLS Published: January 31, 2012 We haven't seen a lot of snow yet and many are hoping for at least one snow to fall this year. So far this year Blacksburg has seen 1.7" of snow with 13.5 being normal so far... Read more: http://www2.wsls.com/weather/2012/jan/31/snow-drought-continues-ar-1652962/ Beef prices set to soar in 2012 By RANDY SHORE, Vancouver Sun January 31, 2012 9:38 AM The price you pay for meat at the grocery store is likely to rise again in 2012. Soaring feed prices across North America and drought conditions in the United States are pushing the cost of meat - beef in particular - through the roof. Photograph by: Shaun Best, Reuters The price you pay for meat at the grocery store is likely to rise again in 2012. Soaring feed prices across North America and drought conditions in the United States are pushing the cost of meat - beef in particular - through the roof. Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Beef+prices+soar+2012/6075127/story.html |
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