Drought

Intense heat and drought in Texas have insects and rodents seeking food and water in people’s homes. AgriLife Extension entomologists and integrated pest management specialists in the Texas A&M Department of Entomology have seen an increase in reports of ants, fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and a variety of other pests. Texas A&M Today (College Station, Texas), Sept 13, 2023

More cases of valley fever, a respiratory tract infection caused by a fungus, have been found in San Mateo County lately. “The switch between dry conditions during a drought and rainy winters following a drought creates the right conditions for the fungus to thrive,” read the county’s Communicable Diseases Quarterly Report for the first quarter of 2023. San Mateo Daily Journal (Calif.), Sept 9, 2023

Drought and low soil moisture continued to take a toll on crop conditions in Iowa and may lead some farmers to begin harvesting earlier than usual. Some producers were hauling water to livestock or were selling cattle. Some livestock were already being fed hay. Iowa Capital Dispatch (Des Moines), Sept 11, 2023

The hottest summer ever recorded by many Texas cities, combined with intense drought, has led to millions of dollars of damage to municipal pipes and the loss of large quantities of water. Numerous cities have asked residents to conserve water as crews work to stem the widespread leaks. “The intense heat and drop in annual rainfall have dried up the soil, causing a shift in water lines,” said a spokesperson for the city of Houston. “When the pipes shift, the pipe joints can break, causing water leaks.” Houston has been receiving 500 calls per week about water leaks, up from 300 this time last year, when drought was less intense. In San Antonio, the number of water main breaks averaged about 470 per month from January through June, and then leapt to 725 in July and 1,076 in August amid intense heat. Laredo, Austin, Midland and Wichita Falls have also had sharp increases in water main breaks. The Texas Tribune (Austin), Sept 8, 2023

Lincoln County remained under a burn ban, as do 44 other Mississippi counties. The Daily Leader (Brookhaven, Miss.), Sept 11, 2023

Remnants of a large dam that used to power a mill along the South Fork of the Shenandoah River near Port Republic have been fully exposed. The history of the structure was conjecture combined with accounts of the past from nearby landowners. It looks like a small dam was replaced by a larger, stronger dam in 1940. Harrisonburg Daily News-Record (Va.), Sept 12, 2023

Many of Minnesota’s lakes and rivers were at historic lows with nearly 55% of the state in severe drought. The Department of Natural Resources has suspended more than 100 surface water permits over the past seven weeks, due to drought. CBS Minnesota (Minneapolis), Sept 11, 2023

Nebraska state park areas and wildlife management areas in Cherry County have temporarily banned campfires as drought conditions contributed to extreme fire danger. Affected areas included Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area, Cottonwood Lake SRA, Bowring Ranch State Historical Park, Smith Falls State Park, Anderson Bridge, Ballards Marsh, Big Alkali Lake, Borman Bridge, Chat Canyon, Cottonwood/Steverson, Merritt Reservoir, Rat and Beaver Lake, Schlagel Creek, and Shell Lake WMAs. KCSR-AM 610 Chadrad.com (Chadron, Neb.), Sept 11, 2023

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was constructing an underwater sill for the second consecutive year to keep salt water from moving upstream and damaging drinking water systems. USA Today (McLean, Va.), Sept 10, 2023

Drought lowered the level of the Paluxy River in Dinosaur Valley State Park, and volunteers found scores of new dinosaur tracks in the riverbed. KXAS-TV NBC 5 Dallas - Fort Worth (Dallas, Texas), Sept 12, 2023 Newly discovered dinosaur tracks were again exposed as drought dried up a river running through Dinosaur Valley State Park in Somervell County. KSAT 12 Online (San Antonio, Texas), Aug 30, 2023

The City of Katy remained in a Level 3 drought, and city officials pleaded with residents to conserve water, per a Facebook post on August 25. Katy Times (Texas), Sept 11, 2023 Heat and excessive water use triggered Katy’s Stage 3 water restrictions. The mandatory restrictions took effect because daily water use equaled or exceeded 85% of the city’s total water pumping capacity for three consecutive days. Water may not be used to wash vehicles, pavement or to fill pools. Houston Chronicle (Texas), Aug 15, 2023

Rising hay prices in North Texas were making it more costly to keep and feed animals at a petting zoo. When it was time the plant pumpkins, the ground was so dry that the tiller could not break through the hard ground to plow the soil. So they adapted by bringing in topsoil to plant the pumpkins. Another pumpkin patch faced the same challenges and had to close, due to high hay prices and labor challenges. WFAA (Dallas, Texas), Sept 11, 2023

The Millers Head Fire burning in the Shenandoah National Park began on Friday, Sept. 8, has blackened 2.5 acres and was 30% contained. The fire was sparked by natural causes. The Washington Post (D.C.), Sept 11, 2023

Farmers in the D.C. region have seen crop yields down as much as 40%, due to drought. Some streams were drying up, and livestock were already eating hay instead of grazing in green pastures. Farmers were praying for rain. The Washington Post (D.C.), Sept 10, 2023

Since the start of the year, Texas has had 4,279 wildfires that have burned 165,837 acres. AgriLife Today (Texas A&M) (College Station, Texas), Sept 11, 2023

Intense heat, low humidity, and dry fuels in the South have led to extreme fire behavior this summer. On Aug. 24, Al Davis, Texas A&M Forest Service director and chair of the South-Central Forest Fire Compact activated an interagency agreement that allows for enhanced personnel and equipment resource movement among states. The USDA Forest Service, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and other partners have worked together to battle the wildfires, having provided large air tankers, other aircraft and hundreds of support personnel. The Southern Area remains the top priority for wildfires nationally, per the National Incident Management Situation Report. For the first time, the Southern Area has topped the West as a national priority for wildfire response at this time of year. This year in Texas, 4,279 wildfires have burned 165,837 acres. In August alone, Texas agency firefighters responded to 519 wildfires during the month, compared to an average of 151 wildfires. Fire activity was similarly high in Louisiana where 555 wildfires charred about 53,464 acres, compared with an August average over the past four year of 34 wildfires affecting 295 acres. AgriLife Today (Texas A&M) (College Station, Texas), Sept 11, 2023

The Shenandoah National Park is experiencing high fire danger due to high temperatures and drought conditions, according to a news release by Shenandoah National Park. Visitors were encouraged to be very careful with cigarettes and campfires. Harrisonburg Daily News-Record (Va.), Sept 11, 2023

The level of Lake Livingston has dropped so low that debris from a tornado in April 2020 has been exposed in the lakebed. The EF-3 tornado took three lives, injured at least 20 more people and destroyed several dozen homes and businesses in Polk County. Residents want the debris cleaned up so it’s not an underwater hazard when the lake eventually refills. The Trinity River Authority intends to clean up the sheet metal and other material when conditions permit. In the meantime, TRA wants boaters to be cautious when the water level is low. KRIV FOX 26 Houston (Texas), Sept 7, 2023

Residents in central Virginia were urged to conserve water by the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, Albemarle County Service Authority, and City of Charlottesville Utilities Department. 1070 WINA (Charlottesville, Va.), Sept 11, 2023

Mandatory water restrictions took effect in Littlestown on Saturday, September 9, due to the lack of rain. Two of the Borough's "critical water sources" cannot be used, according to a Facebook post. Hanover Evening Sun (Pa.), Sept 11, 2023