| 2022-07-20 | summer | 0 | Grass growth slow in northwest Alabama, some farmers feeding hay | The lack of rain left grass in the hayfield behind schedule. Some farmers were giving livestock hay, while others benefited from rain and were able to eke by on pasture grass.
A farmer in the Addison area sold three hundred square hay bales earlier this year, but now, with grass not growing well, he regretted the sale.
North West Alabamian (Haleyville, Ala.), July 20, 2022 |
| 2022-03-04 | spring | 0 | Fire activity high in Alabama's Wiregrass region | Fire activity has increased in southeast Alabama as the region becomes drier.
WTVY-TV CBS 4 Dothan (Ala.), March 4, 2022 |
| 2020-05-14 | spring | 0 | Fire danger advisory in south Alabama | The fire danger advisory for south Alabama was lifted after rainfall.
AL.com (Birmingham, Ala.), May 21, 2020
The Alabama Forestry Commission issued a fire danger advisory for 15 counties in south Alabama, due to dry conditions, low humidity, high temperatures and strong winds. The 15 counties were Baldwin, Choctaw, Coffee, Clarke, Conecuh, Covington, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Marengo, Mobile, Monroe, and Washington. The public was urged to delay outdoor burns.
AL.com (Birmingham, Ala.), May 17, 2020 |
| 2019-12-09 | winter | 0 | Drought watch ended for Auburn, Alabama | A drought watch for Auburn has ended after Lake Oglethorpe, the city’s primary reservoir, was replenished to full capacity. The watch took effect in early December. No drought-related water restrictions were in effect.
WTVM-TV News 9 Columbus (Ga.), Jan. 22, 2020 |
| 2019-10-05 | fall | 0 | Special free permits for hauling hay in Alabama | Alabama agriculture officials announced a plan to issue special free permits for trucks hauling hay as livestock producers were already feeding hay because pastures were dry. Drought was also drying up farm ponds.
AL.com (Birmingham, Ala.), Oct. 5, 2019 |
| 2019-10-03 | fall | 0 | Cotton, peanuts, forage affected by drought in Wiregrass region of Alabama | Drought was ongoing in the Wiregrass region of Alabama, hampering crops. Early planted cotton was fine, but cotton planted later in June had reduced yields. The peanut harvest was laborious as the dry soil made it difficult to get the peanuts out of the ground. The hard, dry ground also increased equipment costs and wore out blades, making harvest take longer.
Farmers typically plant oats, rye and other grasses for winter forage at this time of year, but were instead supplementing with hay and feed, driving up costs.
Dothan Eagle & Dothan Progress (Ala.), Oct. 3, 2019 |
| 2019-10-01 | fall | 0 | Restrictions on campfires in Alabama's national forests | Drought conditions led the Forest Service to impose restrictions on campfires in Alabama’s national forests. Park visitors may only build campfires in developed recreational areas.
WAAY-TV ABC 31 Huntsville (Ala.), Sept. 30, 2019 |
| 2019-09-30 | fall | 0 | Produce prices higher in Alabama's Tennessee Valley | The cost of fruits and vegetables has risen in the Tennessee Valley as drought hampers crop production. The quality of produce was down also.
WAFF-TV NBC 48 Huntsville (Ala.), Sept. 30, 2019 |
| 2019-09-29 | fall | 0 | Florida, Alabama Forestry agencies cooperating amid high fire danger | The Florida Forest Service and Alabama Forestry Commission were teaming up to warn the public about the increasing fire danger and were cooperating in fighting fires along their common border as the region remained dry for more than a month. Wildland firefighters were on heightened alert and resources from other parts of the state were prepositioned to cope with potential fires. In Florida, resources from the peninsula were moved to Northwest Florida, and in Alabama, resources were moved to the northeast.
North Escambia.com (Walnut Hill, Fla.), Sept. 29, 2019 |
| 2019-09-26 | fall | 0 | Alabama Power managing lakes carefully | With lower lake levels, Alabama Power was releasing less water from its reservoirs and was managing their limited resources carefully.
WRBL-TV CBS 3 Columbus (Ga.), Sept. 26, 2019 |
| 2019-09-25 | fall | 0 | Alabama fire alert | Rainfall in the past week has lowered the fire danger in Alabama, allowing the state Forestry Commission to rescind the fire alert that was in effect for all 67 counties.
WAFF-TV NBC 48 Huntsville (Ala.), Oct. 23, 2019
The Alabama Forestry Commission extended the fire alert, originally issued Sept. 25, until conditions improve.
WSFA-TV NBC 12 Montgomery (Ala.), Oct. 11, 2019
The Alabama Forestry Commission upgraded the fire danger advisory to a statewide fire alert on Sept. 25. The fire alert means that permits for outdoor burning were restricted and issued on an individual basis at the discretion of the state forester. The state’s drought status and elevated fire danger prompted the move to a fire alert.
Dothan Eagle & Dothan Progress (Ala.), Sept. 25, 2019 |
| 2019-09-25 | fall | 0 | Many Alabama cattle producers feeding hay early | 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 |
| 2019-09-25 | fall | 0 | Electric bills for irrigation high in southeast Alabama | 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 |
| 2019-09-24 | fall | 0 | Peanut crop damaged, partially lost in southeast Alabama | The peanut yield in the Wiregrass region was 3,200 pounds per acre, considerably lower than the 2018 harvest of 4,100 pounds per acre.
WTVY-TV CBS 4 Dothan (Ala.), Oct. 14, 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 |
| 2019-09-19 | fall | 0 | Caution with fire urged along Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi, Tennessee | Heat and drought have increased the fire danger the length of the Natchez Trace Parkway, extending from southwest Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee. While there were no fire restrictions on park lands, visitors were urged to be particularly careful with fire.
Hohenwald-Lewis County Herald (Tenn.), Sept. 19, 2019 |
| 2019-09-18 | fall | 0 | Increase in wildfire activity in Alabama | Alabama has been dealing with more wildfires than usual for this time of year. The Alabama Forestry Commission reported 181 fires in the last week, for more than half of the fires reported for the last month. About 26 fires have been popping up daily, up from 20 since Sept. 19.
WBRC-TV Fox 6 Birmingham (Ala.), Sept. 24, 2019 |
| 2019-09-16 | fall | 0 | Fire danger advisory in all Alabama counties | Drought and heat increased the fire danger in Alabama, prompting the state Forestry Commission to issue a Fire Danger Advisory for all counties. Residents were urged to avoid burning materials outdoors.
Dothan Eagle & Dothan Progress (Ala.), Sept. 18, 2019 |
| 2019-09-14 | fall | 0 | Drought increasing fire activity in Alabama | More than 500 fires in Alabama charred 7,000 acres in the past 30 days, according to the Alabama Forestry Commission.
WAKA CBS 8, WNCF ABC 32, WBMM CW 22 (Montgomery, Ala.), Oct. 14, 2019 |
| 2019-09-06 | fall | 0 | Crops losses in the thousands of dollars in northeast Alabama | A Marshall County farmer lost thousands of dollars’ worth of crops in the way of squash, peas and other crops. Other farmers were irrigating, but it is expensive and cannot fully compensate for not getting rain.
WAAY-TV ABC 31 Huntsville (Ala.), Sept. 6, 2019 |
| 2019-09-01 | fall | 0 | High fire activity in Alabama during September | Record heat and drought in Alabama contributed to the 472 wildfires that blackened more than 6,000 acres in September.
Dothan Eagle & Dothan Progress (Ala.), Oct. 11, 2019 |
| 2019-08-13 | summer | 0 | Drought, heat hurting Alabama's unirrigated corn | Unirrigated corn in Alabama was suffering amid the heat and intensifying drought. In Autauga County, the unirrigated corn was entirely brown, bearing ears that were half the size of those produced by irrigated corn.
Cotton was dropping boles.
Montgomery Advertiser (Ala.), Aug. 13, 2019 |
| 2019-06-05 | summer | 0 | Less produce available at Alabama Farmer's Market in Birmingham | Vegetable growers in the Birmingham area were struggling to meet demand as three weeks of heat and drought hampered crop growth.
“Size, color, quality - and we are starting to run out of stuff because of the heat and dry weather. We desperately need the rain,” stated a Cullman County farmer.
The amount of vegetables for sale was down about 20 percent, due to the weather.
WBRC-TV Fox 6 Birmingham (Ala.), June 5, 2019 |
| 2019-06-01 | summer | 0 | Drought slowed Christmas tree growth in northern Alabama | Christmas trees in Jackson County did not put on the typical one to two feet of growth during the summer as drought slowed tree growth.
WAAY-TV ABC 31 Huntsville (Ala.), Nov. 26, 2019 |
| 2019-05-31 | spring | 0 | Short corn in Limestone County, Alabama | Some corn in Limestone County was not very tall, and its leaves were beginning to wilt.
eNewsCourier.com (Athens, Ala.), May 31, 2019 |
| 2019-05-30 | spring | 0 | Corn pollination affected by drought, heat in Baldwin County, Alabama | The corn and sweet potatoes in Baldwin County were desperately in need of rain. The heat and drought were affecting corn pollination.
WALA MyFox Gulf Coast (Mobile, Ala.), May 30, 2019 |
| 2019-05-19 | spring | 0 | Corn wilting in southeast Alabama | Corn in the Wiregrass region began wilting on May 19, due to the lack of rain. Even irrigated corn was struggling. Farmers were going to the expense of irrigating, but may not get a decent yield anyway, due to the heat.
Southeast AgNet Network (Gainesville, Fla.), May 28, 2019 |
| 2019-03-24 | spring | 0 | Fire danger warning in Alabama | The Alabama Forestry Commission and local officials warned the public to be careful with outdoor burning as the dry conditions have led to more fires recently. The commission noted that the number and size of fires have increased, with 89 wildfires charring more than 1,265 acres of forestland over a three-day period.
“The existence of drier conditions, combined with lower humidity and gusty winds, could potentially contribute to hazardous wildfire behavior,” said State Forester Rick Oates. “Although no burn restrictions have been issued, the Forestry Commission encourages everyone to be very cautious with fire until conditions improve.”
Tuscaloosa News (Ala.), March 27, 2019 |
| 2019-03-15 | spring | 0 | Grass growth slowed, water supplies down in southeast Alabama | The Wiregrass region of Alabama has gone 35 to 40 days without much rain, slowing grass growth and depleting water supplies. Because grass growth has been poor, producers have not been able to switch livestock from hay to pasture grass, as is normally done in March.
Cattle producers were also concerned about water supplies for their livestock. Local streams were lower than normal, and farmers who rely on a water tank system have to pump more water for their herd, which costs more money.
WSFA-TV NBC 12 Montgomery (Ala.), June 24, 2019 |
| 2017-06-16 | summer | 0 | Drought among factors devastating Alabama, Georgia peach crops | Alabama peach farmers say they are producing just 10 to 30 percent of the usual harvest this year, according to a report from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. The warm winter, a late frost and lingering stress from last year’s drought have taken a toll on the peach trees. Some peach growers lost 10 to 20 percent of their trees.
Similar problems were affecting Georgia’s peach trees. Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that 80 percent of Georgia's peach crop had been "wiped out."
AL.com (Birmingham, Ala.), June 16, 2017 |
| 2017-05-02 | spring | 0 | Lack of rain delayed planting of spring crops in Alabama | Some Alabama farmers were waiting for rain to increase soil moisture levels before planting spring crops. Particularly in South Alabama in the Wiregrass region, rain was needed to moisten soil for planting, and farmers were postponing planting until rain falls. Farmers with irrigation were using it. Very little cotton and peanuts in the Wiregrass had been planted.
Growing Alabama (Albany, Ga.), May 2, 2017 |
| 2017-05-02 | spring | 0 | Hay shortage in Florida, Georgia and Alabama | Many Florida ranchers were seeking to purchase hay because grass was not growing well, and even hay was scarce. Buyers looking for large round bales were having to settle for smaller square bales. The manager of a feed and supply store in Groveland stated that even some hay growers were starting to run out of hay. A Clermont hay dealer sourced her hay from Georgia because her suppliers do not have any local hay.
Parts of Georgia and Alabama were also having a critical hay shortage.
Leesburg Daily Commercial (Fla.), May 2, 2017 |
| 2017-02-27 | winter | 0 | Alabama seeing more Southern pine beetle outbreaks | Alabama forests were experiencing increased Southern pine beetle activity, although such outbreaks do not typically occur until late spring or early summer. Many of the state’s trees were dead or dying after intense drought during the 2016 summer, leaving trees very stressed and vulnerable to insect attack. The Alabama Forestry Commission began flights to assess beetle damage in February in response to a wave of telephone calls from landowners reporting possible bug infestations. Typically, such flights to examine forest health are not undertaken until May or June. Crews discovered 187 likely beetle infestations affecting 14,262 trees.
Apart from drought, the number of Southern pine beetle outbreaks has been climbing steadily for the past four years, but with drought stress and damage, factors were converging to create immense beetle outbreaks.
Miami Herald (Fla.), March 14, 2017 |
| 2017-02-17 | winter | 0 | Funds for Alabama's Volunteer Fire Departments | Governor Robert Bentley announced $67,762 for Volunteer Fire Departments that qualified for the Wildfire Response Grant. Local fire departments ran up large bills, fighting wildfires during the fall of 2016 when much of the state endured extreme drought.
Alabama Governor's Office (Montgomery, Ala.), Feb. 17, 2017 |
| 2017-02-13 | winter | 0 | Drought-affected trees dying in Alabama | Many trees in central Alabama were not showing signs of life as spring unfolded, indicating that drought killed many thousands of trees. The majority of damage occurred in evergreen species, according to Dana Stone, a forester with the Alabama Forestry Commission. Pines, Leland cypress, Japanese cypress, cedars, magnolias and even oak trees were the most affected, stated Stone. A number of pests were attacking the trees, including Southern pine beetle, Ips engraver beetle, black turpentine beetle and the deodar weevil, or a combination of those insects.
Huntsville Times (Ala.), May 10, 2017
Alabama trees continued to die, despite rainfall in December and January, said the Alabama Forestry Commission. The reason for the trees deaths was not clear, but the losses may be significant. The AFC began receiving calls about pine trees of all ages and sizes dying, ranging from seedlings to mature trees. Needles frequently turn brown, as do the pitch tubes, indicating bark beetle infestation. Inspections of the dying trees revealed a variety of pests, including Southern pine beetle, Ips engraver beetle, and black turpentine beetle, or a combination of all three. In some cases, the deodar weevil was also present too.
Landowners need to monitor the health of their trees and contact the AFC or registered forester before taking action against insect activity.
State of Alabama (Montgomery, Ala.), Feb. 13, 2017 and Jasper Daily Mountain Eagle (Ala.), March 19, 2017 |
| 2017-01-27 | winter | 0 | Hay, forage in short supply in Alabama | The drought led many Alabama farmers to postpone or even skip the planting of winter grazing. Some winter forage was growing well, but other fields were complete failures. Alabama farmers have purchased hay from all over the Southeast to feed livestock.
Growing Alabama (Albany, Ga.), Jan. 27, 2017 |
| 2016-10-12 | fall | 0 | Gov. signed no burn order for all Alabama counties | The statewide burn ban that took effect in early November ended, said Gov. Robert Bentley and interim State Forester Gary Cole. Recent rainfall alleviated the drought conditions enough to allow outdoor burning again.
TimesDaily.com (Florence, Ala.), Dec. 5, 2016
Extensive fire activity led Gov. Robert Bentley to extend a “no burn order” to all Alabama counties. The order previously affected 46 counties. All outdoor burning was prohibited, including camp fires, trash fires, bonfires and all other open burning. Violators may be fined up to $500 and could spend six months in jail.
Since Oct. 1, about 1,421 wildfires charred 15,409 acres in Alabama, according to the Alabama Forestry Commission.
Montgomery Advertiser (Ala.), Nov. 8, 2016
Gov. Robert Bentley of Alabama signed an order banning outdoor fires across most of the state, due to intensifying drought that has led to fast-moving wildfires. Forty-six counties were under a no burn order, while the remaining counties were in a fire alert. According to the Alabama Forestry Commission, 341 wildfires scorched more than 4,100 acres in the past seven days.
My San Antonio.com (Texas), Oct. 12, 2016 |
| 2016-10-03 | fall | 0 | No campfires, fireworks permitted in Alabama's national forests | Campfires and fireworks were banned in Alabama’s Bankhead, Conecuh, Talladega and Tuskegee national forests, due to extreme drought conditions increasing the fire danger. The public may not use or build campfires in the national forests, except within developed recreation areas with receptacles designed to hold fires. The fire ban will be in effect through Dec. 31.
TimesDaily.com (Florence, Ala.), Oct. 3, 2016 |
| 2016-10-01 | fall | 0 | Excessive fire activity in Alabama | Since Oct. 1, about 1,421 wildfires charred 15,409 acres in Alabama, said the governor’s office. This year’s fire figures were far above that from the same time in 2015, when 232 fires burned 1,846 acres. Officials attributed the dramatic increase in fire activity to drought.
Birmingham News (Ala.), Nov. 7, 2016
More than 900 wildfires charred more than 100,000 acres in Alabama in October, reported the Alabama Forestry Commission on Oct. 24. Low humidity and a lack of rain have upped the fire danger, prompting Gov. Bentley to sign a Drought Emergency Declaration on Oct. 12. Forty-six counties in north and central Alabama were not to burn materials, while those in south Alabama were in a fire alert.
"The situation causes grave concern for fire officials with the agency struggling with reduced availability of both firefighting manpower and suppression resource," said interim State Forester Gary Cole as the state’s streams and rivers began to run dry.
Birmingham News (Ala.), Oct. 24, 2016
During the first 17 days of October, the Alabama Forestry Commission recorded 631 fires burning 6,861 acres. In comparison, in the first 17 days of October 2015, there were only 78 fires that blackened 615 acres.
WSFA-TV NBC 12 Montgomery (Ala.), Oct. 18, 2016 |
| 2016-10-01 | fall | 0 | Alabama Forestry Commission working hard to keep up with multitude of wildfires | The Alabama Forestry Commission has been working hard to keep up with the number of wildfires burning in the state as severe drought and a lack of manpower add to the challenge. From the start of October through the 24th, the AFC said there had been 910 wildfires charring more than 100,000 acres. Days later, the AFC revised the figure and announced that 1,000 wildfires had burned in October.
Once a fire has been snuffed, the AFC firefighters and local fire departments revisit all fire sites to make sure fires have not reignited, which places a large demand on local fire departments with small staffs. The AFC itself has about 120 firefighters.
Birmingham News (Birmingham, Ala.), Oct. 27, 2016 |
| 2016-10-01 | fall | 0 | Alabama Forestry Commission in need of more funds for fighting fires | As wildfires continued to burn in Alabama, the Forestry Commission has already fought more than 1,900 wildfires that charred 22,750 acres in the first two months of the 2017 fiscal year, which is more than burned in all of 2016. The agency may need more funds on top of the more than $1.1 million already spent to keep battling blazes if the dry weather persisted. The Gov. Robert Bentley directed $690,000 from the Departmental Emergency Fund to the Forestry Commission and more can be requested when lawmakers return for the next legislative session in February. February and March are typically the height of the fire season.
TimesDaily.com (Florence, Ala.), Nov. 23, 2016 |
| 2016-09-15 | fall | 0 | Less water released from Alabama Power reservoirs | The dry summer has depleted lakes used by Alabama Power to generate electricity. Water levels at Weiss, Neely Henry, and Logan Martin lakes on the Coosa River, Harris and Martin lakes on the Tallapoosa River, and Smith Lake on the Black Warrior River were dropping and were expected to continue to drop. Alabama Power reduced water releases from its hydroelectric dams and stopped recreational releases from Jordan Dam on the Coosa River.
Randolph Leader (Ala.), Sept. 15, 2016 and TimesDaily.com (Florence, Ala.), Oct. 29, 2016 |
| 2016-07-21 | summer | 0 | Drought warning, watch and advisory in Alabama | Limited rainfall and high temperatures led the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to announce a drought warning, watch and advisory for parts of the state. Counties in the drought warning include Colbert, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, and Morgan. The drought watch encompasses Blount, Calhoun, Chambers, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Cullman, Etowah, Jefferson, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Walker, and Winston. In the drought advisory are Autauga, Bibb, Bullock, Choctaw, Clarke, Dallas, Elmore, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Russell, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Washington, and Wilcox counties.
Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, July 21, 2016 |
| 2015-10-16 | fall | 0 | 700 acre wildfire in Winston County, Alabama | Dry, windy weather allowed a small fire on Oct. 16 to grow into a 700 acre wildfire in the Bankhead National Forest in northern Alabama.
WAFF-TV NBC 48 Huntsville (Ala.), Oct. 21, 2015 |
| 2014-08-29 | summer | 0 | Cotton and peanut yields slipping in southeastern Alabama | The lack of rain was chipping away at cotton and peanut yields in southeastern Alabama, but rainfall could prevent further deterioration.
Dothan Eagle (Ala.), Aug. 29, 2014 |
| 2012-10-29 | fall | 0 | Water releases increased from two Georgia lakes | The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers increased water releases at Lake Lanier from 1,100 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 2,500 cfs and at West Point Lake from 2,100 to 2,300 cfs to 3,500 cfs to provide more water to parched downstream water users in western Georgia, eastern Alabama and northwestern Florida as drought persisted in the region. The additional water will benefit the middle and lower reaches of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin. The releases were intended specifically to boost levels of Lake Seminole in southwest Georgia and Walter F. George Lake on the Georgia-Alabama border. Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Ga.), Oct. 26, 2012 |
| 2012-09-13 | fall | 0 | Water lines break in Randolph, Alabama | Water line breaks were causing problems in Roanoke and dropping water pressure to hazardous levels. The chairman of the city of Roanoke Water, Sewage, Gas and Filter Plant board said the “ground was like powder” and blamed drought for the breaks. Valves were being installed in the city’s new water lines, which are not yet in use, to be able to shut off water to a small section of the city when a line breaks to hopefully avoid a drop in water pressure throughout the city as more water line breaks occur. Randolph Leader (Ala.), Sept. 13, 2012 |
| 2012-07-12 | summer | 0 | USDA Announces Streamlined Disaster Designation Process | Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack July 11 announced a package of program improvements that will deliver faster and more flexible assistance to farmers and ranchers devastated by natural disasters. Vilsack announced three significant improvements to decades-old USDA programs and processes related to Secretarial disaster designations: a final rule that simplifies the process for Secretarial disaster designations and will result in a 40 percent reduction in processing time for most counties affected by disasters; a reduced interest rate for emergency loans that effectively lowers the current rate from 3.75 percent to 2.25 percent; and a payment reduction on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands qualified for emergency haying and grazing in 2012, from 25 to 10 percent. ... The final rule for Secretarial disaster designations is amended as follows: 1) Nearly automatically qualifies a disaster county once it is categorized by the U.S. Drought Monitor as a severe drought for eight consecutive weeks during the growing season. Effective July 12, 1,016 primary counties in 26 states will be designated as natural disaster areas, making all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided eligibility requirements are met. 2) Streamlines the USDA Secretarial designation process, which is expected to provide better service to farmers and ranchers by reducing by approximately 40 percent the amount of time required for designating a disaster area. 3) Removes the requirement that a request for a disaster designation be initiated by a state governor or Indian tribal council, increasing the likelihood that counties will be covered. Indian tribal councils and governors may still submit a request for a designation, but it will not be required in order to initiate a disaster declaration. ... http://www.usda.gov/documents/disaster-fast-track-2012.pdf http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/fast_trk_primary_contig_cos.pdf
USDA FSA press release, July 12, 2011 |
| 2012-06-27 | summer | 0 | Tennessee Valley Authority drawing down reservoirs to maintain Tennessee River | The Tennessee Valley Authority has drawn more water from its storage reservoirs in east Tennessee and western North Carolina, due to heavier demand from water customers as heat and drought gripped the region. The water level declined in those reservoirs as the TVA tried to keep water levels high in the Tennessee River.
TimesDaily.com (Florence, Ala.), June 27, 2012 |
| 2011-12-01 | winter | 0 | Peanut store in Birmingham, Alabama upped the price of a bag of peanuts | A store that specializes in peanuts in Birmingham increased the price for a bag of peanuts from $3 to $4 beginning on December 1. There has been a nationwide 30 to 40 percent uptick in prices on peanuts and peanut products since drought and fewer planted acres of peanuts reduced the size of the crop. Birmingham News (Ala.), Dec. 6, 2011 |
| 2010-11-22 | fall | 0 | Alabama Power retaining more water in its lakes | Alabama Power sought a temporary variance to allow it to retain more water during the winter in Weiss, Logan Martin, R.L. Harris and Martin lakes in case the dry conditions continue. In addition, it also intends to cut the flow through the hydroelectric dams by 10 percent to 4,176 cubic feet per second (cfs), down from 4,640 cfs on the Tallapoosa and Coosa rivers. Birmingham News (AL), Nov. 22 |
| 2010-11-02 | fall | 0 | Campfires prohibited outside of desginated areas in national forests in Alabama | The U.S. Forest Service has prohibited campfires except in designated areas within national forests in Alabama until December 31 due to the rising fire danger from drought. TimesDaily.com (AL), Nov. 2 |
| 2010-10-05 | fall | 0 | Campfires prohibited in the Sipsey Wilderness Area | The U.S. Forest Service prohibits the use of campfires within the Sipsey Wilderness Area in the Bankhead National Forest through October 31 due to dry conditions increase the fire danger. Gas-fueled stoves and backpacking stoves are acceptable. Just 1.5 inches of rain fell in Bankhead Forest in September, whereas the area usually receives 6.5 inches. TimesDaily.com (AL), Oct. 5 |
| 2010-09-09 | fall | 0 | DeKalb County reports over 40 wildfires since Sept. 9, 2010 | Since Sept. 9, DeKalb County has had 41 fires burn 350 acres, which is much greater than average. A state forestry specialist reports that over the last 3 years, DeKalb County has averaged about 20 fires annually. |
| 2010-08-02 | summer | 0 | Soybeans, cotton in Cherokee and Etowah counties badly damaged | A father and son team who farms in Cherokee and Etowah counties says that their soybeans are nearly a “total loss” since the leaves of the plants became yellow. The cotton is badly damaged, but may yield a little cotton. Gadsden Times (AL), Aug. 2 |
| 2010-08-02 | summer | 0 | Cotton in Cherokee County hampered by drought, heat | The cotton in the western part of Cherokee County, near Centre and Pollard’s Bend to the Etowah County border, was roughly knee-high and yellow due to drought and heat, according to an extension agent for the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service. Gadsden Times (AL), Aug. 2 |
| 2010-07-15 | summer | 0 | Dry pastures in Lee County spur livestock producers to provide hay for animals | The lack of grass in pastures forced ranchers to begin feeding hay to their animals in the middle of the summer, according to a horticulturalist and extension agent for Lee County. Tulsa World (OK), Dec. 13 |
| 2010-04-15 | spring | 0 | Tennessee Valley Authority switched to conservation flows at Wheeler Dam | The Tennessee Valley Authority is operating the Wheeler Dam at conservation flows to retain more water, given the recent dry conditions, according to the general manager of river scheduling for the Tennessee Valley Authority. |
| 2010-04-15 | spring | 0 | Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant prepared for low river flow | The cooling towers at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant near Athens are being readied for use in case Tennessee River flows remain low, according to the general manager of river scheduling for the Tennessee Valley Authority. |
| 2010-04-15 | spring | 0 | Rising fire danger prompted warning against outdoor burning in Lauderdale County | The director of the Florence-Lauderdale County Emergency Management Agency urges people to refrain from burning materials outdoors due to the dry conditions and asks that burns not be executed until the area receives substantial rain. He also noted that there were an elevated number of escaped debris fires lately. |
| 2008-07-23 | summer | 0 | Relief, Response & Restrictions, Water Supply & Quality impact from Media submitted on 7/24/2008 | A business that produces wood pellets in Selma reports that the Alabama River is so low that barges are shipped at a 5-foot draft rather than a 9-foot draft. Since half of the usual amount of freight can be transported on each barge, it has doubled their cost for transporting freight by barge.
Impact Source: Media
More Information: http://www.selmatimesjournal.com/news/2008/jul/23/water-conversation-spans-state/ |
| 2008-05-13 | spring | 0 | Agriculture impact from Media submitted on 5/14/2008 | An agronomist at the Wiregrass Research and Extension Center stated that some area peanut farmers have chosen to stop planting because the ground is too dry.
Impact Source: Media
More Information: http://dothanfirst.com/content/fulltext/?cid=10722 |
| 2008-01-21 | winter | 0 | Relief, Response & Restrictions impact from Media submitted on 1/22/2008 | The president of the Organized Seafood Association of Alabama is asking the governor and state conservation director to declare a disaster to provide some financial relief for the oystermen in the area as drought continues to affect the salinity of Mobile Bay, allows a predatory snail to proliferate, and devastate the oyster population.
Impact Source: Media
More Information: http://www.al.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news/1200993320221820.xml&coll=2 |
| 2008-01-21 | winter | 0 | Relief, Response & Restrictions impact from Media submitted on 1/22/2008 | An oyster processing plant in Coden is receiving roughly one-third of the amount of oysters that it normally receives for processing. Drought is affecting the salinity of Mobile Bay, allowing a predatory snail to proliferate, and devastating the oyster population.
Impact Source: Media
More Information: http://www.al.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news/1200993320221820.xml&coll=2 |
| 2007-03-16 | spring | 0 | Water Supply & Quality impact from Media submitted on 7/16/2007 | A company completing construction on a new plant near Selma cannot ship its product by barge from Selma to Mobile because the river is low from drought. Dredging the river would remedy the situation, but the river is so low along some stretches that there isn’t enough water for the dredging equipment to work. Low water levels and the need for dredging has hampered barge travel on the river for four months or more.
Impact Source: Media
More Information: http://www.wsfa.com/Global/story.asp?S=6792191&nav=menu33_3 |
| 2007-01-03 | winter | 0 | Agriculture, Fire impact from Media submitted on 6/3/2007 | Farmers say without a sustained rain, their crops will be a total loss, thanks to successive years of drought and a late season freeze. An extension agent says this drought might spell the end for some farmers' businesses. Fires do not seem to be a concern in Madison County but other counties have seen them. A burn ban is in effect.
(User-submitted media report; http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/1180862319157350.xml&coll=1)
Impact Source: Media
More Information: http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/1180862319157350.xml&coll=1 |
| 2006-12-15 | winter | 0 | Agriculture impact from Media submitted on 12/15/2006 | Farmers across Northern Alabama report that continued drought conditions are affecting their cattle production businesses. The drought conditions have caused a shortage of available hay for feed. In turn, some producers have been forced to cull cattle herds or seek alternative, more expensive cattle feed sources.
Impact Source: Media
More Information: http://www.whnt.com/Global/story.asp?S=5817135 |
| 2006-11-07 | fall | 0 | Agriculture impact from Media submitted on 11/7/2006 | According to the Houston County Extension Office, cotton was harvested at 400 pounds per acre, which is about half of last year's yield. Some farmers didn't even harvest their cotton because so little was produced.
Impact Source: Media
More Information: http://www.wtvynews4.com/home/headlines/4578157.html |
| 2006-06-30 | summer | 0 | Agriculture impact from Media submitted on 7/10/2006 | A disaster declaration has been made due to the ongoing drought. Farmers in both the primary and contiguous counties are eligible for low interest loans from FSA.
Impact Source: Media
More Information: http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=5102257 |