Nearly 33% of the U.S. is experiencing some form of drought, up from about 25.5% in late June, the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor showed. While some regions received much-needed rain, dryness has tightened its grip on other regions.
“For the nation as a whole, 37% of the topsoil moisture and 35% of the subsoil moisture was short or very short, and 30% of the pasture and rangeland was in poor to very poor condition,” the report noted.
Drought or abnormal dryness expanded or intensified across parts of the West, Midwest, Southeast and Northeast, where little to no rain fell and 30- to 90-day precipitation deficits mounted, the Drought Monitor relayed. Meanwhile, heavy rainfall brought some reprieve to parts of the Plains, Midwest and East.
“Heavy rain also fell across southern Texas when Hurricane Hanna struck, and Hurricane Douglas graced parts of Hawaii with beneficial rain. Where the rain fell on drought or abnormally dry areas in these regions, contraction occurred,” the report said.
Approximately 28% of the U.S. cattle inventory is now within areas experience drought. This is up from just 23% on June 23.
