Drought

Hot and dry conditions continued across the Panhandle. Above-average temperatures and little to no rainfall caused many crops to struggle through the last part of the summer into the fall. The small amount of rain received the previous month did not last long. Most of the corn harvested was going to silage instead of grain. Producers began to defoliate cotton; irrigated acres were in good condition. Dryland cotton that survived was harvested. Pastures and rangelands were in fair condition but needed moisture. Rangelands continued to dry down and go dormant. Livestock were in good condition as ranchers fed hay and supplements daily. Hay supplies were replenished due to timely rains throughout the growing season. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Oct 3, 2023

Dry conditions continued throughout the South Plains. Farmers were preparing for the cotton harvest. Many were making plans to apply harvest aids in the coming days and weeks. Most corn fields were cut, and sorghum was being harvested as it matured. The pumpkin crop was finishing up. Pumpkin yields this year were down 30%-40% due to the extreme heat this summer. Silage was being cut at a rapid pace. Cattle were in good condition and were still utilizing improved pastures from the July rains. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Oct 3, 2023

Recent rainfall helped parts of East Texas bounce back. Ponds and creeks rose to more normal levels. Some counties were able to lift their burn bans as well. Pasture and rangeland conditions were still very poor to fair. Topsoil conditions were short to adequate, and subsoil conditions were short. Producers in some areas, like Anderson and Panola counties, reported another cutting of hay, and producers in other counties remained hopeful for a final cutting. But recent forage growth also brought the problem of widespread armyworm infestations. Livestock were doing fair to good with some supplemental feeding taking place. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Oct 3, 2023

Dry weather has slowed the maturity of the peanut crop, so harvest was just getting started. Normally, the harvest would be about halfway done. The peanut yield was lower than normal, possibly down 30%. The sweet potato crop was also seeing lower yields. Pastures were dry and farmers were feeding hay. WALA TV 10 (Mobile, Ala.), Oct 4, 2023

Drought and heat have hurt the Mississippi pumpkin crop, leaving fewer and smaller pumpkins for sale. A pumpkin grower in Smith County did not harvest any pumpkins. WHLT-TV (Jackson, Miss.), Oct 4, 2023

Shenandoah remained in stage 1 water conservation status. KMALand (Shenandoah, Iowa), Oct 2, 2023 Stage one water conservation measures took effect in Shenandoah as water levels dropped in the city’s wells. Low rainfall has been a years long issue in the region. KMA Land (Shenandoah, Iowa), Aug 25, 2023

Cotton, soybeans, some of those commodities are really hurting, due to drought, according to the commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. WSFA (Montgomery, Ala.), Oct 4, 2023

Dry conditions contributed to a 40-acre wildfire in Gulf Breeze, according to the Florida Forestry Service. Fires have been occurring almost daily, but no burn bans were in effect. WEAR-TV ABC 3 Pensacola (Fla.), Oct 9, 2023

A cold case of a man missing for 14 years has been reopened in Cass County by the sheriff's office. Drought has made the area that the man disappeared in more easily searchable with low water levels in the ditches and lowlands that were previously filled with water. FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul (Minn.), Oct 9, 2023

Rainfall in the DMV has been lacking for producing giant pumpkins. Even irrigation was not enough to grow big pumpkins, according to a farmer in Loudoun County, Virginia. Rainfall was about 50% of normal, and pumpkins turned out about half of the expected size. WJLA (Arlington, Va.), Oct 9, 2023

Apples were ripening and dropping earlier than usual as drought stressed the trees. Some apples were smaller than normal. One grower, taking drought conditions into consideration, opted to knock more apples off the trees to give the remaining apples a better chance of growing to full size. WJLA (Arlington, Va.), Oct 9, 2023

The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries consulted with the Alabama Department of Transportation to waive the hay hauling permit fee, due to drought. Haulers still have to apply for a permit and comply with the requirements. The Dothan Eagle (Dothan, Ala.), Oct 6, 2023

Apples from an orchard in Winona County were smaller than usual and were less red. Winona Post (Minn.), Oct 6, 2023

Extreme heat and drought resulted in Baton Rouge’s University Lakes partially drying up. The lakes were being renovated starting late this summer, but the low level of the lakes was not due to dredging or construction. The lakes are quite shallow, roughly five feet deep. LSU Reveille (Baton Rouge, La.), Oct 6, 2023

The Missouri governor’s cattle farm in Bolivar has been feeding hay since July. Many ranchers have already sold cattle rather than buy expensive hay after the pasture dried up. Some cattle herds have been completely liquidated. St. Louis Post Dispatch (Mo.), Oct 6, 2023

The rain in Floyd County stopped mid-July and was not enough to keep the pumpkins growing, despite irrigation. Peak growing season for pumpkins is mid-July and August, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agriculture agent in Floyd County. Pumpkin growers have seen a sharp decline of 20% to 40% in production. Rain at harvest time was not helpful. The High Plains region of Texas is a significant pumpkin-producing region. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (Texas), Oct 8, 2023

Hawaii Island ranged from being abnormally dry to a touch of extreme drought. The Hawaiʻi County Department of Water Supply warned that water customers will be asked to conserve water if pumping capabilities cannot keep up with demand. The Department of Water Supply will continue to monitor its 23 water systems. Big Island Video News (Hilo, Hawaii), Oct 5, 2023

The Mississippi River was 0.3 feet at Vicksburg River gauge, but ought to be at 20 feet. Barges can usually be loaded to a draft of 12 feet, but with the low water, drafts were being limited to 10 feet to avoid groundings. WLBT Online (Jackson, Miss.), Oct 5, 2023

Salt water advancing up the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico toward New Orleans was moving more slowly than anticipated. The salt water may reach New Orleans and Jefferson Parish in late November rather than late October. Salinity is also expected to not exceed 250 parts per million, a level that prompts health warnings. Additional rains could ease the threat further. Of note in the latest projections, the underwater sill has been effective, and weather and river forecasts were more optimistic. The Associated Press (New Orleans, La.), Oct 5, 2023

South Carolina officials say that the state is in a drought advisory, due to the lack of rain and intense heat. The situation is being monitored. People should consider how much water they use. WSPA Online (Spartanburg, S.C.), Oct 3, 2023