Flash Drought Strikes Southeastern U.S. Fields

(Agriculture.com) – Just months ago, farmers in Texas reveled in record rainfall … the first significant precipitation that has fallen in portions of that state in years. In fact, eastern Texas was walloped with the worst flooding in at least 25 years in late May and early June.

Flash floods have now been replaced with a flash drought.

A drought belt extending from eastern Texas to South Carolina suddenly appeared this summer. Waco, Texas, didn’t receive a single drop of rain during July, for only the third time on record, along with 1930 and 1993, reports the U.S. Drought Monitor.

And according to the USDA, topsoil moisture was rated at least half very short to short in Texas (55% short), South Carolina (83% short), Louisiana (67% short), Mississippi (64% short),  and North Carolina (54% short). North Carolina led the eastern half of the U.S. with 41% of its pastures rated very poor to poor.

The only saving grace to this flash drought is that it is not affecting the corn, soybean, and cotton fields of the Texas Panhandle, which suffered from a multiyear drought until this spring.

Extreme drought continues out West

In the meantime, California’s extreme to exceptional drought status continues. An unprecedented 71% of that state is still suffering from a D3 (extreme drought) or D4 (exceptional drought) as rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Farther north, the Pacific Northwest drought has worsened. For example, a large portion of the high-producing wheat growing area of the Palouse region (in eastern Washington and western Idaho) is in an extreme drought.

California led the nation with 55% of its rangeland and pastures rated at very poor to poor condition, followed by Oregon (49%) and Washington (45%), reports Brad Rippey, USDA meteorologist.

The toll of the drought extends to row crops as well. Nearly half of Washington’s spring wheat was rated in very poor to poor condition on August 2.