Percentage of U.S. with Extreme Drought Conditions, 2006-2011. Nearly a fifth of the contiguous United States has been faced with the worst drought in recent years. nytimes.com / Source: National Drought Mitigation Center Map of the United States showing extreme drought conditions on 5 July 2011. Nearly a fifth of the contiguous United States has been faced with the worst drought in recent years. nytimes.com / Source: National Drought Mitigation Center

July 11 (NYT) – […] The pain has spread across 14 states, from Florida, where severe water restrictions are in place, to Arizona, where ranchers could be forced to sell off entire herds of cattle because they simply can’t feed them. In Texas, where the drought is the worst, virtually no part of the state has been untouched. City dwellers and ranchers have been tormented by excessive heat and high winds. As they have been in the southwest, wildfires are chewing through millions of acres. Last month, the United States Department of Agriculture designated all 254 counties in Texas as natural-disaster areas, qualifying them for varying levels of federal relief. More than 30 percent of the state’s wheat fields might be lost, adding pressure to a crop in short supply globally. […]

Drought Spreads Pain From Florida to Arizona