Drought

Springs and streams were slowing in Rockbridge County, affecting how producers move their cattle. Many farmers have sold livestock earlier than usual because water supplies were dry, pastures were dry and dying, and it costs too much to begin feeding hay so early. Hay feeding typically begins in late November and extends through April. Lexington News-Gazette (Va.), Sept. 25, 2019

Farmers in the Wiregrass were harvesting peanuts, but the hot, dry weather made harvest difficult. Farmers were expected to harvest less than 3,200 pounds per acre, which is below average. Due to drought, peanuts were smaller, and field producers estimate 10 to 20 percent of the peanut crop was lost to drought. The hard, dry ground was hard on machinery, causing blade breakages and dulling the blades quickly. Dull blades result in a lower harvest. WTVY-TV CBS 4 Dothan (Ala.), Sept. 24, 2019

Drought conditions have cost Shelby County cotton farmers, livestock producers and hay growers. The cotton harvest was lighter than normal with one grower losing 500 pounds, completely trimming his profit margin. Drought increased the cost of caring for livestock and resulted in less money at auction, as much as $200 less for calves. Hay production was down. In addition, the ground was too dry to plant winter crops. WBRC-TV Fox 6 Birmingham (Ala.), Sept. 24, 2019

Little rain has fallen in Giles County since early summer, forcing producers to feed cattle as pastures were brown and dotted with toxic, invasive weeds. Ponds were going dry, springs were low, and wells were going dry. Hay reserves were low in the region, and cattle sales were occurring. WDBJ7 Roanoke News (Va.), Sept. 23, 2019

Many producers in Southwest Texas continued to give supplemental feed to livestock or cull herds. The Bryan-College Station Eagle (Texas), Sept. 24, 2019

More Mississippi counties have bans on open burning as dry conditions persist. As of Sept. 25, the counties with burn bans included Adams, Copiah, Lauderdale, Lee and Montgomery. WAPT-TV ABC 16 Jackson (Miss.), Sept. 25, 2019

Wet conditions delayed pumpkin planting in Delaware County, but after planting, the weather turned dry, leading to smaller pumpkins. WBNS-TV 10 Columbus (Ohio), Sept. 25, 2019

Farmers in southeast Alabama have not had sufficient moisture in the 2019 growing season and have relied heavily on irrigation where available. Farmers who planted later were most affected by the drought and heat and will likely see extreme yield reductions. Cattle producers were paying extra for hay and supplemental feed, while farmers who irrigate were being hit with exorbitant electricity bills. A Houston County farmer reported that a few months ago, his electric bill was $17,000, whereas he usually pays $2,000 to $3,000. WSFA-TV NBC 12 Montgomery (Ala.), Sept. 25, 2019

Many Alabama cattle producers were feeding hay early, although they typically do not begin feeding hay until late October or November, according to the deputy commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. Heat and drought devastated pastures in the past month. AL.com (Birmingham, Ala.), Sept. 25, 2019

Dry weather in recent weeks only allowed oats in Washington County to grow to about half their typical height, reducing the tonnage of feed for cattle. WDVM-TV (Hagerstown, Md.), Sept. 25, 2019

Pastures were going dry, forcing Washington County producers to begin feeding livestock hay early. WDVM-TV (Hagerstown, Md.), Sept. 25, 2019

Tree leaves in Hagerstown went from green to brown and dropped to the ground, indicating drought stress, according to a University of Maryland Extension educator. WDVM-TV (Hagerstown, Md.), Sept. 25, 2019

A burn ban was in effect for Gordon County, due to extreme drought. Marietta Daily Journal (Ga.), Sept. 25, 2019

Drought in Central Texas left the ground too hard to work seedbeds in some parts of the district. Hay growers hoped to make a final cutting, but the lack of rain meant grasses were not growing. Pastures were declining. Many counties had burn bans, and nearly all of the district was short on soil moisture. The Bryan-College Station Eagle (Texas), Sept. 24, 2019

Most West Central Texas counties had burn bans in effect, due to the dry conditions. Stock tanks were dropping and small ones were nearly dry. The Bryan-College Station Eagle (Texas), Sept. 17, 2019 and Sept. 24, 2019

Rainfall replenished Seldovia's water supplies. Fairbanks News-Miner (Alaska), Sept. 26, 2019 To meet water needs while Seldovia's reservoir was depleted, non-potable water stations were established and pallets of drinking water were being sent by ferry to the parched community. Alaska Public Radio Network (Anchorage), Sept. 4, 2019 Seldovia was nearly out of water after a warm, dry summer exhausted the community’s reservoir. Rain and snowmelt were not sufficient to replenish the reservoir. The town of about 230 people had enough water to last roughly 16 days. To conserve water, the school’s automatic flush toilets were reverted to manual flushing. Restaurants began using paper plates and disposable utensils. Seldovia’s senior meal delivery program was suspended because there was not enough water for proper cleaning of the facility. Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), Sept. 1, 2019

Recent rainfall restored water supplies for Nanwalek. Fairbanks News-Miner (Alaska), Sept. 26, 2019 As Nanwalek's reservoir became alarmingly low, water was available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. to conserve water. Lagoon water was offered to residents for toilet flushing. Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), Sept. 1, 2019 The community of Nanwalek was on the cusp of running out of water and was considering rolling blackouts to minimize consumption. KTVA-TV CBS 11 Anchorage (Alaska), Aug. 28, 2019

The Virginia Department of Forestry was increasing their response when dealing with wildfires due to the dry conditions in the state. The VDOF fought eight wildfires in September, whereas last year there were none. WDBJ7 Roanoke News (Va.), Sept. 24, 2019

The Troutville Volunteer Fire Department warned the public to be especially cautious with fires outdoors because the county was abnormally dry, increasing the fire risk. WDBJ7 Roanoke News (Va.), Sept. 24, 2019

Wildfire activity in Georgia since July 1 was up 25 percent in the number of fires and about 22 percent in acreage, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission. For September alone, the number of fires was 52 percent higher even before recent wildfires were included in the tally. WMAZ-TV CBS 13 Macon (Ga.), Sept. 23, 2019