It's dry out there

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
“It has been really dry, especially recently,” said Melissa Smith, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service when speaking about the current weather conditions in Weston County. “It is not as bad as it could be, but it’s still pretty bad.”
According to the National Weather Service, Newcastle has received a total of 11.48 inches of precipitation through the end of August. The area averages, according to precipitation summaries, 16.44 inches of precipitation annually. 
Despite not making the top 10 for driest years, 2020 is slated to remain in the top 30 driest years on record. The driest years recorded, Smith reported, range from 6.74 inches of precipitation in 1961 to 10.64 inches of precipitation in 1952. 
The lack of precipitation in Newcastle, Smith said, is following a pattern that can be seen in the statistics. 
“Wet and dry seasons last about 10 years in the area,” Smith said. “Newcastle has been wet since about 2008, although there were a few random dry years. So, it isn’t surprising that we are going into a dry time.” 
The lack of precipitation as well as temperature and other factors play a role in an area being designated as in a drought. Smith explained that the overall high temperatures seen in the area, accompanied by the early and late freezes are a recipe for drought. 
“Around May 10 we saw freezing temperatures and then the early freeze came last week. This has killed off a lot of vegetation,” Smith said, explaining that dead vegetation is more at risk for fire than living vegetation. 
Because of this, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has designated Weston County as a contiguous natural disaster area, according to a Sept. 14 press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 
The importance of the designation lies in the fact that Weston County producers are now eligible to apply for emergency loans. 
“This designation allows the [Farm Service Agency] to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters,” the release states. “Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts.” 
Several other counties across the state received the same designation: Albany, Carbon, Crook, Johnson, Natrona, Niobrara, Platte and Sheridan. Both Campbell and Converse counties were designated as primary natural disaster areas by Perdue, the release stated. 
Anyone suffering losses caused by the drought has until May 4, 2021, to apply for emergency funds. FSA will review the applications as they are received and determine loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.
Several other programs are available to help farmers recover from the impacts of this disaster, including the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program, Emergency Conservation Program, Livestock Forage Disaster Program, Livestock Indemnity Program, Operating and Farm Ownership Loans and the Tree Assistance Program. The release notes that these programs are available without disaster declaration. 
Producers are encouraged to contact their local USDA center for information on eligibility requirements and application processes. Additional information is also available on the department’s website at farmers.gov/recover.