"More than 50 percent of the United States is under drought conditions right now, putting 2012 in the same category with some of the worst droughts in the nation's history."
"he 54.6 percent figure (not counting Alaska and Hawaii) makes this year's drought the sixth worst on record in terms of area covered, behind only the brutal droughts of the mid-1950s and the 'Dust Bowl' era of the 1930s. Other more recent droughts — such as 2000, 2002, and 1998 — saw a greater percentage of the country suffering from the 'severe' or 'extreme' drought categories. However, even by that standard, June 2012 still ranks among the top 10 worst droughts of all-time."
Dashiell Bennett reports for the Atlantic Wire blog Jul 16, 2012.
SEE ALSO:
"Drought Worsens Crop Damage, Raising World Food, Fuel Worry" (Reuters)
"Grocery Prices Headed Higher as Drought Lingers" (NBC News)
"Widespread Drought Threatens U.S. Crops" (Los Angeles Times)
"Heat Leaves Ranchers a Stark Option: Sell" (New York Times)
"Punishing Drought Gets Worse Across The U.S." (Los Angeles Times)
"Widespread Drought Causes Corn Prices To Surge; Grocery Goods Next?" (Los Angeles Times)
"Forecasts Show U.S. Drought Getting Worse" (Reuters)
"Nebraska Farms Ordered To Halt Irrigation Amid Drought" (Reuters)
"U.S. Drought 2012: Current Drought Covers Widest Area Since 1956, According To New Data" (Huffington Post)
"Drought Precedes Extreme Heat, Study Finds" (OurAmazingPlanet)
"Epic Drought Covers Widest Area Since 1956" (USA TODAY)
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