Biz Buzz

It’s that time of the year again, and let’s hope things go much differently than last year (previous coverage).

According to today’s U.S. Drought Monitor, two counties in NeMiss are abnormally dry (D0 drought), and the rest are 100 percent drought-free. The map has the eastern edges of Itawamba and Monroe counties as being in a DO drought, a classification given to areas that show dryness but are not yet in drought OR for areas recovering from drought. Click here for the map.

This time last year, the entire state was in some stage of a drought, with 38 percent of the state in a D3 extreme drought. The highest classification is a D4 exceptional drought.

Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas are still hurting, though. See the map.

My mom was a little miffed at my column that ran Sunday.

She agrees that we had a brick in our toilet - she even thought it might have been two – and that we utilized various water-saving tricks during the drought in Southern California. However, she vehemently denies that she encouraged my brother, sister and I to relieve ourselves outside.

Yet, I distinctly remember being told that if it was just pee (can I say that on the blog?) and I was outside, I should find a tree or a bush and do my business. Granted, I don’t remember this happening often, but I do remember it.

Still, my mom thinks I’m smoking crack. She’s concerned you fine folks in NeMiss are going to think she was a bad mom. So, I wanted to let you know that she did teach us how to use indoor plumbing and, no, she’s not a tree-hugging hippy. And, while my parents’ homestead in Gulfport is becoming more eco-friendly by the day (Energy Star appliances and the like), no one skimps on toilet-flushing.

It’s been a while since we did a drought update, and with the rain making an appearance in NeMiss today, there’s no time like the present to fill you in on our water situation.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor that was released today, 70.5 percent of the state is abnormally dry. In addition, 6.1 percent of the state is in a D1 moderate drought. The area in the moderate drought is mostly confined to the northeastern edge of the state (Tishomingo south to Kemper County).

And there’s a slight sliver of D2 severe drought along the eastern edge of Itawamba and Monroe counties.

Click here for the map.

Today’s edition of the U.S. Drought Monitor indicates no change from last week. About 14 percent of the state is in a D1 moderate drought and about 35 percent is abnormally dry. Drought classifications in NeMiss range from no drought to abnormally dry to a moderate drought.

While the numbers are better than they were over the summer, they still aren’t good when compared with last year. This time last year, 97 percent of the state was considered drought-free. As of this week, only 51.6 percent of the state falls under that category.

The drought is in a holding pattern when compared with last week. Go back to Nov. 20 though, and you can see a bit of improvement.

A little more than half of the state is drought-free. About 35 percent is abnormally dry (D0 drought) and 13.8 percent is in a D1 moderate drought.

Northeast Mississippi has a little bit of all three classifications. Check the state map for more details.

The drought is creeping westward across the state, but at least we aren’t in Alabama or Georgia’s shoes. Or even Tennessee’s position for that matter.

As of the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor, 15.2 percent of the state is in a drought, up from 4 percent the previous week. The majority of NeMiss is either abnormally dry (D0 drought) or in a moderate drought (D1 drought). Technically, a D0 drought is used for areas showing dryness but not yet in drought or for areas recovering from drought.

Hooray for rain! According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, 81 percent of the state is completely drought-free. The number is a huge improvement from the previous report when onlly 52.7 percent of the state was drought-free.

Four percent along the Alabama state line remains in a D1 moderate drought. Nineteen percent, including a chunk NeMiss, is abnormally dry. Check the map to find out how your county is doing.

Alabama and Tennessee also are doing better.

The rains are helping beat back the drought. From today’s U.S. Drought Monitor:

Finally, some major relief in the form of a strong system that worked its way across the Southeast, tapping into good Gulf moisture and bringing a much-needed injection of ample rains to the rain-starved region. As opposed to last week when only expansion was noted, this week brings about some major improvements for parts of the region where the rains were heaviest. Along the upper Gulf Coast, rains were heaviest, with 6 to 12 inches falling from extreme southeast Louisiana across coastal Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle. They weren’t the only ones seeing heavy rains, though, as the system brought 3 to 6 inches, or more, in places up the Mississippi Valley and into the Midwest and Ohio Valley.

The 0.4 percent of the state that was in a D4 exceptional drought last week now has been downgraded to a D3 extreme drought. The best news is that 52.7 percent of the state has licked the drought, compared with the 11.3 percent reported last week. However, much of Northeast Mississippi still remains in a D1 moderate drought to a D2 severe drought. Check the map for more details.

As far as the farmers, MSU Extension Service Agent Charlie Stokes said while the rain is good to replenish moisture in the soil, it’s just hindering the harvesting process right now. And when rain falls on harvest-ready crops, there is a chance that the quality will deteriorate before it can be sold. However, the rain will help wheat germinate once it’s planted, which is expected to happen over the next month. Talk about bittersweet.

The USDA’s weekly crop report is out. Here’s a snippet …

For the week ending Oct. 14:

According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service in Mississippi, there were 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Sunday, October 14, 2007. Dry conditions are supporting the harvest of cotton and soybeans. In some areas, the lack of rainfall is also hindering the progress of winter crops and forages. Some operators have had to feed hay to their livestock because pastures are overgrazed. Soil moisture was rated 42 percent very short, 35 percent short, and 23 percent adequate.

Selected comments:
• “Cotton picking is going quickly now and the yields are holding up. One farmer told me that the snails are covering the cotton, the picker, and the stalk shredder in his fields.” — Stephen R. Winters, Grenada
• “Cotton harvest has progressed rapidly with dry conditions. Wheat planting has been delayed by lack of soil moisture.” — Jay Phelps, Pontotoc
• “It is very dry. Over the last week there have been over 30 brush fires. Crop harvest is progressing really well. Early planted ryegrass is suffering from drought; however, it looks like there will be plenty of hay for the winter.” — Chuck Grantham, Forrest

We’re still in a drought in Northeast Mississippi, but it could be worse.

According to today’s U.S. Drought Monitor, counties in NEMiss range from abnormally dry (D0 drought) to being in an extreme D3 drought. The D0 classification is giving to areas that show dryness but are not yet in drought or for areas recovering from drought. The good news is the rain (spotty as it is) has banished all traces of the D4 exceptional drought we’ve been plagued with this year. D4 is the most intense drought classification from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Click here for the state drought map.

Our neighboring states aren’t doing as well, though. About 61 percent of Tennessee is in a D4 exceptional drought and almost 59 percent of Alabama is in a D4 drought.

Read previous Biz Buzz drought coverage.