Jul 20, 2012

2012 Drought Officially Reaches Dust Bowl-Era Intensity | Farm Journal Magazine

NCDC marks June 2012 as the 6th worst month on record.

It’s time to stop comparing this year’s drought to the dire conditions of 1988. The 2012 drought has officially entered Dust Bowl-era intensity. The percentage of U.S. currently in drought now rivals conditions not seen since the mid-1950s and early 1930s.

A recent report by the Weather Channel indicates that more than 54% of the nation was in drought this June, which makes it the 6th worst month since the National Climatic Data Center began tracking such data in 1895.

Highest Percentage of U.S. In Drought
·
July 1934 79.9%
December 1939 62.1%
July 1954 60.4%
December 1956 57.6%
September 1931 54.9%
June 2012
54.6%
August 1936 54.4%
May 1925 54.0%
June 1977 52.5%
June 1988 52.3%

July

Here are some additional items of interest, collected from various media outlets:

· A map on USA Today compares the drought intensity between 2012 and 1934.

· CNN recently interviewed Indiana farmer Brian Scott about how the drought has affected his Indiana farm.

Illinois farmer David Albin shares some of his recent observations on the drought and what still needs to be done this crop season, at this week's Farm Journal Corn College.

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