First day of summer and no drought relief in sight
© 2000 Cable News Network
June 21, 2000
WASHINGTON -- As the first full day of summer dawned Wednesday, U.S. forecasters offered few words of encouragement for Americans enduring what already has proved to be a trying drought.
Parched states from Nebraska to South Carolina, which witnessed the warmest spring on record, can expect little relief over the next several months, according to the National Weather Service.
First-stage to severe droughts likely will persist in parts of the Midwest, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center. Odds also favor a long-term drought from southern Louisiana to Georgia and South Carolina, according to the center.
Many cities such as Atlanta already are imposing restrictions on water usage. In western states such as New Mexico, Colorado and California, wildfires have ebbed in recent days, but fire officials say dry conditions make the threat of more blazes likely.
As the long, sunny days settle in, authorities also are cautioning Americans against prolonged exposure to the heat. Temperatures above 85 degrees Fahrenheit for three or more consecutive days can pose heat-related dangers, according to weather service spokeswoman Susan Weaver.
"Pay attention to weather forecasts," Weaver said, adding that regional variability is important.
Season starts on grim note for farmers
In Georgia, the drought is in its third year. Parts of the state have seen just an inch of rain in the past two months.
Walking through a withered, 40-acre cornfield, farmer Gerald Carter of Ty Ty in southern Georgia knows the news isn't good. Corn that should stand 8 to 10 feet is only 4 or 5 feet high.
"I would consider this a total loss," Carter said as he trudged through the field.
The cornfield is doomed in part because it's dependent solely on water that falls from the sky, Carter said. Another cotton crop, also not irrigated, may suffer the same fate, he said.
Carter irrigates other fields, but it's too expensive to water all his land.
The year is proving disastrous not just because of the dry weather, Carter said. Farmers also are burdened by rising fuel prices and low commodity rates.
Now 58, Carter has farmed his entire life. He said he never thought he'd become wealthy. But he also never expected to have to live without.
"My father and grandfather farmed before me, and they didn't get rich. They made a living," he said. "But it's about to get to the point where we can't make a living now."
One state wishes it would just dry up
In another part of the United States, people marked the summertime season not with a drought but in heavy flood waters.
Residents of Fargo, North Dakota, are bailing out after a downpour late Monday and early Tuesday that dropped about 7 inches of rain in a six-hour period.
"There's nothing left," said Debbie Poitra, crying as she told of the 6 feet of water in her basement-level apartment. "Clothes, personal stuff, pictures -- things that couldn't be replaced. It's all under water now."
The Fargodome, the city's major arena, had about 6 feet of water on its main floor, executive director Paul Johnson said. Damage was estimated to be at least $1.5 million.
North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer said overall flood damage is in the millions of dollars.
"Most buildings at (North Dakota State University) are water-damaged," he said. "It's a difficult situation."
Weather officials said the heaviest rains are over in North Dakota, but a few scattered storms could add another inch to the saturated area.
Correspondent Brian Cabell, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.