U.S. drought crisis
- 1/25
Rancher Gary Wollert pauses before heading out for work on August 23, 2012 near Eads, on the plains of eastern Colorado. The nation's severe drought has been especially hard on cattlemen and exacerbated when Congress recessed for 5 weeks withough passing disaster relief legislation. Most of the high plains areas of eastern Colorado and virtually all of Nebraska and Kansas are still in extreme or exceptional drought, despite recent lower temperatures, according to the University of Nebraska's Drought Monitor. The record-breaking drought, which has affected more than half of the continental United States, is expected to drive up food prices by 2013 due to lower crop harvests and the adverse effect on the nation's cattle industry. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
- 2/25
Cattle eat hay on August 23, 2012 near Eads, on the plains of eastern Colorado. Many ranchers, who's grasslands have dried up due to the drought, are supplimenting cattle's diets with hay, now at record prices, to keep them alive. The nation's severe drought has been especially hard on cattlemen, made worse when Congress recessed for 5 weeks withought passing disaster relief legislation. Most of the high plains areas of eastern Colorado and virtually all of Nebraska and Kansas are still in extreme or exceptional drought, despite recent lower temperatures, according to the University of Nebraska's Drought Monitor. The record-breaking drought, which has affected more than half of the continental United States, is expected to drive up food prices by 2013 due to lower crop harvests and the adverse effect on the nation's cattle industry. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
- 3/25
Darren Becker, his hands black from a day of farm work, looks over his cattle field on August 24, 2012 in Logan, Kansas. Like many Kansas farmers who's profits have been wiped out by the record drought, Becker is working hard to hang on to his farm, which has been in their family for five generations. Most of Kansas is still in extreme or exceptional drought, despite recent lower temperatures and thunderstorms, according to the University of Nebraska's Drought Monitor. The record-breaking drought, which has affected more than half of the continental United States, is expected to drive up food prices by 2013 due to lower crop harvests and the adverse effect on the nation's cattle industry. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
- 4/25
Darren Becker sifts through arid topsoil under a ruined crop on the family farm on August 24, 2012 in Logan, Kansas. Like many Kansas farmers who's profits have been wiped out by the record drought, the Beckers are working hard to hang on to their farm, which has been in their family for five generations. Most of Kansas is still in extreme or exceptional drought, despite recent lower temperatures and thunderstorms, according to the University of Nebraska's Drought Monitor. The record-breaking drought, which has affected more than half of the continental United States, is expected to drive up food prices by 2013 due to lower crop harvests and the adverse effect on the nation's cattle industry. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
- 5/25
A bull sniffs through a barbed wire fence on the Becker family farm August 24, 2012 in Logan, Kansas. Like many Kansas farmers affected by the record drought, the Beckers are working hard to hang on to their farm, which has been in their family for five generations. Most of Kansas is still in extreme or exceptional drought, despite recent lower temperatures and thunderstorms, according to the University of Nebraska's Drought Monitor. The record-breaking drought, which has affected more than half of the continental United States, is expected to drive up food prices by 2013 due to lower crop harvests and the adverse effect on the nation's cattle industry. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
- 6/25
In this Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012 photo, Terry Slotty, one of the organizers of the Wisconsin State Cow Chip throw, stands over this year's chips in Sauk City, Wis. Organizers had to dip into chip reserves because the drought caused a shortage. (AP Photo/Carrie Antlfinger)
- 7/25
In this Aug. 22, 2012, drought condition water levels have taken their toll on the wildlife at Anderson Lake State Fish & wildlife Area near Astoria, Ill. According to the latest drought report released Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012, nearly all of Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri are in extreme or exceptional drought, with Illinois showing the most-dramatic climb in those categories, spiking 17 percentage points in one week, to 96.72 percent, according to the map. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
- 8/25
Barges and their towboats accumulate alongside the Mississippi banks of the Mississippi River near Greenville, Miss., Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012. Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say low water levels that are restricting shipping traffic, forcing harbor closures and causing towboats and barges to run aground on the Mississippi River are expected to continue into October. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
- 9/25
The 350-foot U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Dredge Hurley works to clear a navigation channel on the Mississippi River on Monday, Aug. 20, 2012 near Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Adrian Sainz)
- 10/25
Water gets churned up at the end of a dredging pipeline connected to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' dredge on the Mississippi River on Monday, Aug. 20, 2012 near Memphis, Tenn. Sand that is removed from the river bottom is spit out the end of the pipeline so it can be deposited on the riverbank. The Mississippi River from Illinois to Louisiana has seen water levels plummet due to drought conditions in the past three months. Near Memphis, the river level was more than 12 feet lower than normal for this time of year. (AP Photo/Adrian Sainz)
- 11/25
A lowering river allows the sand bars to emerge in the Mississippi River near Greenville, Miss.,Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012. Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say low water levels that are restricting shipping traffic, forcing harbor closures and causing towboats and barges to run aground on the Mississippi River are expected to continue into October. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
- 12/25
This photo from Aug. 1, 2012, shows a drought damaged ear of corn in Westfield, Ind., corn field. U.S. corn growers could have their worst crop in a generation as the harshest drought in decades takes its toll, the government reported Friday, Aug. 10, 2012, as it forecast the lowest average yield in 17 years. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
- 13/25
This photo from July 31, 2012 shows dried corn plants in Yutan, Neb. U.S. corn growers could have their worst crop in a generation as the harshest drought in decades takes its toll, the government reported Friday, Aug. 1, 2012, as it forecast the lowest average yield in 17 years. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)
- 14/25
A pepper plant grows on the farm of Jerry Jimenez on July 26, 2012 near Cobden, Illinois. Jimenez's pepper farm was one of several farms in the drought-stricken region of Southern Illinois that were visited by officials from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as they surveyed crop damage and informed farmers of what assistance was currently available. Jimenez expects the yield from his farm to be half that of last year because of the drought. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
- 15/25
A towboad and its barges pass under the old Mississippi River bridge at Vicksburg, Miss., Thursday, July 26. 2012. in a switch of extremes, the river has dropped to very low levels this summer unlike last year when the river was flooding much of the Delta due to record high levels. The drop in water level now exposes the river bottom, forcing river traffic to a trickle as barges are forced to lessen their loads to keep from getting stuck on sandbars. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
- 16/25
Drought US
- 17/25
A field of corn withers under triple-degree heat north of Wichita, Kan., in Sedgwick County Monday, July 16, 2012. The drought gripping the United States is the widest since 1956, according to new data released Monday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Fifty-five percent of the continental U.S. was in a moderate to extreme drought by the end of June, NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., said in its monthly State of the Climate drought report. That's the largest percentage since December 1956, when 58 percent of the country was covered by drought. (AP Photo/The Wichita Eagle, Mike Hutmacher)
- 18/25
Corn stalks struggling from lack of rain and a heat wave covering most of the country are seen Monday, July 16, 2012 in Farmingdale, Ill. The nation's widest drought in decades is spreading. More than half of the continental U.S. is now in some stage of drought, and most of the rest is abnormally dry. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
- 19/25
An empty dock sits on the bottom of a dry cove at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, Ind., Monday, July 16, 2012. The reservoir is down nearly 6 feet from normal levels and being lowered 1 foot every five days to provide water for Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
- 20/25
Corn stalks struggling from lack of rain and a heat wave covering most of the country lie flat on the ground Monday, July 16, 2012, in Farmingdale, Ill. The nation's widest drought in decades is spreading. More than half of the continental U.S. is now in some stage of drought, and most of the rest is abnormally dry. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
- 21/25
Lighting strikes over a barn surrounded by a soybean crop in Donnellson, Iowa Adrees Latif / Reuters
- 22/25
Drought US
- 23/25
Steve Niedbalski chops down his drought and heat stricken corn for feed Wednesday, July 11, 2012 in Nashville Ill. Farmers in parts of the Midwest, dealing with the worst drought in nearly 25 years, have given up hope for a corn crop and are mowing over their fields and baling the heat withered plants for livestock feed. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)
- 24/25
Drought destroys Iowa’s corn
REUTERS/Adrees Latif - 25/25
Drought US