Drought

Some Stafford County pastures have so little grass that farmers must purchase hay to feed their cattle. A hay grower said that there would likely be no second cutting of hay this year. Livestock feed was hard to find as many cattle and horse farmers were feeding hay early. Scarce hay supplies in addition to higher demand will mean rising prices. Dairy farmers looking for corn for feed were also facing higher prices for corn. Many farmers will have to choose between buying hay and selling livestock. Fredericksburg (Va.), July 23, 2024

Hamilton County pastures were not growing back and animals were suffering amid the drought. Cattle could not be rotated among pastures as usual, according to a farmer near Chattanooga. The warm season grasses have not received enough precipitation to continue growing and provide grazing for cattle. Consequently, cattle were kept in a confined space and were fed hay. The cattle would not normally receive hay until the winter. The farmer brought water to the pigs so they could cool off. Typically, they would have wallows to get in and cool down, but the lack of rain meant that the farmer had to haul water to the pigs so the animals would create wallows. Even the creek has gone dry so there was no natural spring water for the animals to drink. Local 3 News (Chattanooga, Tenn.), July 20, 2024

Maryland’s state fire marshal reminded Marylanders about fire safety and jurisdictional requirements when burning outdoors after the drought watch was issued. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources does enforce open-air burning regulations. Violators may be fined up to $1000 and/or one year in prison. The landowner can be charged with all the costs of extinguishing the fire. “Marylanders need to use caution when burning outdoors. Being responsible, attentive, and following established guidelines provided by local authorities can make a significant difference,” stated Acting State Fire Marshal Jason M. Mowbray. The Baynet.com (California, Md.), July 24, 2024

Wythe County was under a drought warning advisory by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality after record-low rain totals in June and July. WDBJ7 (Roanoke, Va.), July 25, 2024

A Bedford County farmer reported that he was already feeding hay to his cattle because the pasture was dry. Normally hay isn’t fed to the cattle until October. The area received a small amount of rain, which was helping the pasture grow. WSET-TV ABC 13 (Lynchburg, Va.), July 24, 2024

Sunflowers at Camp Creek State Park were devoured by deer this summer amid extremely dry weather. Growth of the flowers had been hindered by drought prior to the deer’s feast. The Mercer County Convention and Visitors Bureau wanted potential visitors to be aware that there were no sunflowers to admire this year as many make the long hike to see the field of blossoms each August. Bluefield Daily Telegraph (W.V.), July 24, 2024

The grass dried up and a creek also went dry, leading a Romney farmer to check on his cattle’s water supply every couple of days to make sure that they still had water. There were also wells available for water. Scarce precipitation was diminishing second cuttings of hay, which may lead to a shortage of hay in the winter. Hampshire Review (Romney, W.V.), July 24, 2024

The Shenandoah River was unusually low, preventing Burnshire Dam in Woodstock from being able to produce significant power, so the dam was shut down for maintenance. The water flowed at a rate of 70 to 80 cubic feet per second when it ought to be 140 to 150 cfs. The dam owner was also experiencing a loss of revenue from power sales. WHSV (Harrisonburg, Va.), July 23, 2024

Trees in central Mississippi were still being removed after drought in 2023 damaged and killed many trees. There was concern that the abundant dead timber could fuel a busy fire season this fall and next spring. WLOX TV 13 (Biloxi, Miss.), July 23, 2024

The Maryland Department of the Environment urged citizens and businesses in Garrett, Allegany and Washington counties in the western part of the state to voluntarily reduce their water usage because a drought watch has been issued. During a drought watch, MDE increases oversight of water supply conditions and encourages voluntary water conservation practices. Stream flows and groundwater levels were lower than normal for this time of year. Maryland Department of the Environment (Baltimore), July 23, 2024

Some of the corn in Bedford County was not able to produce ears. The loss of the crop will cost the farmer about $100,000. Recent rain has kept the corn alive, so the farmer will harvest the stalks for cattle feed. WSET-TV ABC 13 (Lynchburg, Va.), July 24, 2024 A Bedford County dairy farmer estimated that he lost two-thirds of his corn crop and would not be useable this year. The corn was planted in April and has not received significant rain since mid-May. WSET-TV ABC 13 (Lynchburg, Va.), July 7, 2024

Drought came at a bad time in the growing cycle for Beaufort County corn when it was determining yield and requiring a lot of water. Some fields of corn died, while other fields had pollination significantly affected by the lack of moisture. Some ears of corn were just two to three inches long when they ought to be 12 to 13 inches in length. Soybeans were blooming and producing pods, but the dryness caused the pods to fall to the ground. Tobacco and cotton were also suffering from the lack of precipitation. Washington Daily News (N.C.), July 24, 2024 A corn grower in Beaufort County stated that most of his corn would be a total loss after being stressed from going without moisture for so long. WITN-TV NBC 7 Greenville (N.C.), June 27, 2024

Water conservation guidelines were issued in Somerset while local dairies are producing less milk due to drought. Prohibited activities include watering lawns and gardens, washing paved surfaces and vehicles, watering golf courses, operating fountains and reflecting pools, filling swimming pools, and serving water in restaurants unless requested by the customer. Daily American (PA), July 22, 2024.

The city of Havre has banned non-essential water use as the water treatment plant cannot keep up with demand during the hot, dry conditions. Residents are not allowed to water their lawn, fill swimming pools, or wash hard surfaces. Havre Daily Chronicle (Montana), July 22, 2024.

The Attleboro Water Department upgraded its water use ban from Level 1 to Level 3 due to low reservoir levels. The ban includes lawn watering and limits pool filling. Car washing must be done using water purchased outside of Attleboro and well users need to put up a sign for enforcers to see. The Sun Chronicle (MA), July 22, 2024.

Many pine trees died during last year's drought, and now the Ips engraver beetle is eating those trees and causing limbs to fall. Since the beetles are now present in such high numbers, they are also eating ornamental trees. Affected trees need to be trimmed or removed to avoid parts or the entire tree falling on people. WBRZ (Louisiana), July 19, 2024.

A farmer in West Virginia has lost half of his blueberry crop and has only been able to save his blackberries and raspberries by running sprinklers nearly constantly. He is also contending with a hay shortage due to the drought. 13 News (West Virginia), July 18, 2024.

A Tennessee farmer has only been able to harvest about half the amount of corn expected due to drought. WKRN (TN), July 18, 2024.

A farm in Chattanooga has insufficient water and pasture for their cattle, so they are feeding hay and using hoses to water instead of the creek. Their pigs also need to be hosed off to keep cool as they don't have mud to wallow in. Local 3 News (Tennessee), July 19, 2024.

Trout are dying in Montana due to low water and high temperatures. The Daily Montanan (Montana), July 19, 2024.