we consider two weeks without rain a drought. She scoffed at the idea.

Agriculture is big business here and I know that at least the corn crop is dependent on consistent moderate rain- about an inch a week to be at it's best.

However, in a cruel irony for both the Midwest and California, we have gotten so much rain here this spring and summer that it has killed much of the corn and soy bean crops. I have a relative who farms about 450 acres and he said he will be filing a crop insurance claim this year.

and many people moved west to California, with its rich green scenery ... now the dust bowl has moved to California and the Midwest has the water, and green scenery... I wonder if California will ever be more than a desert now...

That was the Southern plains, which are still a little parched even today as they rely on well water.

Not to discount the importance of our agriculture, it is very important, but I think California is hovering on the brink of an extremely large human and environmental disaster. The water is probably not going to come back to sufficient levels anytime soon, and reserves are becoming more and more depleted.

Last edited Sun Jul 19, 2015, 03:08 PM - Edit history (1)

Many of the parks—if not all—are all grey and dirt filled now that the grass has died.
But front lawns: I would say 90% of them are still green.
We walked in an upper middle class area of San Pedro Friday night with our dog, and I didn't see a single sign of drought. Each lawn wash a lush green—and I'm sure many of them have larger backyard lawns that look just the same.
I don't know what it's going to take to make these people realize how bad it is.
Maybe they're desensitized from years of everything being made a matter of politics. Well, this drought is NOT political.

watering is still allowed 2x a week. One house on my block just put in a new lawn last week

without getting pissed off. At least the city has let the grass in the medians die. They put up a bunch of signs saying only water twice a week.

Most midwest states are above 50% in the Good to Excellent crop condition and 25% is the highest in the Poor to Very Poor range (in Indiana). For the U.S. overall corn is rated at 69% Good to Excellent (down a bit from 76% last year). Soybeans are in somewhat less of a good condition, though for the U.S. as a whole is still 62% Good to Excellent (down from 72% last year).

http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1048

Much of the corn crop is destroyed in my area of the world. I'm from Indiana.

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Edison's is always working, though.

Seriously, though, I'm very happy for you California DU'ers and the other people of CA!

except it rained less.

suddenly an hour ago, clouds took over the sky and hard rain. Still raining hard.