drought

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Christmas Tree Farms Face 'Historic Challenges'

Drought (and flooding), inflation, labor shortages are causing grief for farmers trying to make a buck

(Newser) - A Weather Channel report this week warned how drought is adversely affecting Christmas tree farms in the Northeast. Turns out that's not the only struggle these farms are facing, with growers "having to overcome historic challenges," per the Wall Street Journal . Those challenges include not only abnormally...

Delaware River's 'Salt Line' Is Migrating, Thanks to Drought
East Coast Has a
New Drought Worry
Nov 27, 2024 7:49 AM CST

East Coast Has a New Drought Worry

Delaware River's 'salt front' has moved north, possibly putting drinking water at risk in the future

(Newser) - Salty ocean water is creeping up the Delaware River, the source for much of the drinking water for Philadelphians and millions of others, brought on by drought conditions and sea level rise, and prompting officials to tap reservoirs to push the unpotable tide back downstream. Officials say drinking water isn'...

NYC Hasn't Issued This Type of Warning Since 2002

City issues drought warning for first time in decades

(Newser) - New York City on Monday issued its first drought warning in 22 years after months of little rain—and will restart the flow of drinking water from an out-of-service aqueduct as supplies run low, the AP reports. Dry conditions across the Northeast have been blamed for hundreds of brush fires....

In New Jersey, a Big Ask From Governor on Water Use

Amid major drought conditions, Phil Murphy asks Garden State residents to cut back on water use

(Newser) - New Jersey hasn't had a dry spell this bad since Teddy Roosevelt was president, leading to wildfire outbreaks across the state. Now, Gov. Phil Murphy has issued a drought warning, asking residents to be judicious in their water use to avoid nonvoluntary water restrictions down the line. "Every...

Also on Fire: The Northeast
Also on Fire: The Northeast
Nov 11, 2024 10:35 AM CST

Also on Fire: The Northeast

As California contends with its blazes, firefighters on East Coast have drought-induced fires of their own

(Newser) - The West is usually the focus of news about US wildfires, but the Northeast is currently waging its own fiery battles as a regional drought continues to leave the land parched and ripe for blazes. Axios reports that an "abnormally dry fall" has firefighters hard at work, with a...

Drought Dries Amazon Tributary
Amazon Tributary Hits New Low
photos
Oct 5, 2024 12:30 PM CDT

Amazon Tributary Hits New Low

Negro River reaches lowest point in 122 years of measurements

(Newser) - One of the Amazon River's main tributaries has dropped to its lowest level ever recorded, Brazil's geological service said Friday, reflecting a severe drought that has devastated the Amazon rainforest and other parts of the country. The level of the Negro River at the port of Manaus was...

Now a 2nd Country Will Cull Elephants to Feed Its People

Zimbabwe, Namibia both take the step

(Newser) - Zimbabwe will do what Namibia has done: It plans to cull 200 elephants to feed its people, who have been hit by an El Nino-triggered drought. The country last culled elephants in 1988, reports Reuters . "We are working on modalities on how we are going to do it,"...

Religious Procession Marks Return of Rainfall

Spain's northeast is dealing with a drought emergency

(Newser) - A religious procession in downtown Barcelona celebrated the appearance of long-awaited rain, after nine days of praying for relief from a severe drought. Around 100 local people took part in the Catholic ceremony on a rainy Saturday evening. They carried the figure of the Holy Christ of the Blood, winding...

Mexico City Is Nearly Out of Water
Mexico City Is
Nearly Out of Water
Mar 2, 2024 5:35 PM CST

Mexico City Is Nearly Out of Water

Drought and extreme heat have dried up water sources in the city of 22M

(Newser) - One of the world's largest, most densely populated cities is on the verge of having no or very limited water for its 22 million residents. As UPI reports, this crisis has sparked protests in Mexico City, where water levels in its aquifer have reached their lowest point on record....

Winter Games Cut Back Due to Lack of Winter

Lack of snow raises fears of worsening drought in Canada's British Columbia

(Newser) - There will be just two outdoor sports at British Columbia's upcoming Winter Games. "A lack of snowpack on the mountain at Troll Ski Resort and the absence of heavy snowfall in the forecast" prompted the BC Alpine, Freestyle BC, and BC Snowboard organizations to withdraw from the event,...

Half a World Away, More Bad News for Global Shipping

Traffic slashed at drought-stricken Panama Canal as attacks continue in Red Sea

(Newser) - A severe drought that began last year has forced authorities to slash ship crossings by 36% in the Panama Canal, one of the world's most important trade routes, per the AP . The new cuts announced Wednesday by authorities in Panama are set to deal an even greater economic blow...

2-Year Drought 'a Human Tragedy That's Only Growing'

Widespread drought conditions affect nearly 1 out of every 4 people on the planet

(Newser) - The last two years have been brutal in terms of drought. Nearly 25% of the world's population, some 1.84 billion people, were living under drought in 2022 and 2023, according to a UN report shared last month. The Horn of Africa experienced its worst drought in four decades,...

Drought Kills at Least 100 Elephants
Drought Kills
at Least 100
Elephants
Dec 19, 2023 12:00 PM CST

Drought Kills at Least 100 Elephants

El Nino blamed for lack of water killing pachyderms in recent weeks in Zimbabwe's largest national park

(Newser) - At least 100 elephants have died in Zimbabwe's largest national park in recent weeks because of drought, their carcasses a grisly sign of what wildlife authorities and conservation groups say is the impact of climate change and the El Nino weather phenomenon. Authorities warn that more could die as...

Texas Drought Yields Dino Tracks, WWI Shipwrecks

'If I was ever going to find anything, this would be the best time to do it'

(Newser) - As of Monday, 79% of the state of Texas was in drought , with 12% in "exceptional drought." Those conditions, though challenging for residents, have the upside of revealing some remarkable finds. At Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, officials have uncovered at least 70 new dinosaur tracks...

Things Aren't Great at the Panama Canal Right Now

Ship traffic has been reduced due to drought

(Newser) - If drought in the Panama Canal region sounds like something that has no impact on you, think again. CBS News reports the lakes that feed the canal system are close to their minimum levels after an atypically dry season, and that's throwing a wrench into how much traffic the...

Silly String? Forest Service's Idea for Fourth Doesn't Land

Environmental groups question the alternative to fireworks, but like the bigger message

(Newser) - Smokey Bear's admonition that "Only you can prevent wildfires" remains, in a time of drought, as important to remember as ever. But it's equally true that only you can prevent forests from being covered with Silly String. US Forest Service managers in the drought-stricken Southwest are urging...

Phoenix, Short on Water, Limits New Construction

Officials in Arizona are worried about long-range problems with groundwater

(Newser) - Phoenix got a glimpse of its future on Thursday, and it does not appear to include the sort of multiplying development that has made it the nation's fastest-growing metropolitan region. Arizona officials announced that their analysis shows there is not enough groundwater to support all the housing construction proposed...

You May Want to Hoard That Olive Oil in Your Pantry

Drought, high temps in Spain are wreaking havoc on crops, driving olive oil prices to 26-year high

(Newser) - If you're on a Mediterranean diet kick, you might want to be judicious with how much olive oil you use in your meals. That's because the monthslong drought and sweltering temps in the Mediterranean, especially Spain, have dried out olive trees, causing prices to spike and a looming...

Bad News on Great Salt Lake: 'This Is a Crisis'

Researchers say Utah lake could vanish in 5 years if excess water consumption isn't remedied

(Newser) - Since 2020, Utah's Great Salt Lake has lost about 40 billion gallons of water per year, a consequence of the West's megadrought and too much water consumption. Researchers say that stat shouldn't be ignored: If remedies aren't made, the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere...

Heavy Rain Risks Flooding, May Top Off California Reservoirs

Atmospheric river heads for the state with downpours forecast through the weekend

(Newser) - California is facing days of heavy rainfall that could help its drought battle by replenishing reservoirs while risking flooding in much of the state. An atmospheric river of moisture is headed from the Pacific Ocean toward California and other Western states, AccuWeather reports. The results could include rainfall of 8...

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