Thank God for Global Warming
Imagine how much more damage would be done if the earth wasn't a degree or two higher due to man.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...382/-1/ZONES04Most of California's citrus is frozen
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO -- Three nights of freezing temperatures have destroyed up to three-quarters of California's $1 billion citrus crop, according to an estimate issued Monday as forecasters warned the weather could continue.
Other crops, including avocados and strawberries, also have suffered damage in the cold snap, agricultural officials said.
"This is one of those freezes that, unfortunately, we'll all remember," said A.G. Kawamura, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
The latest freeze will likely surpass the damage done by a three-day cold snap in December 1998 that destroyed 85 percent of California's citrus crop, a loss valued at $700 million, Kawamura said.
Overnight temperatures dropped into the teens again early Monday in parts of the San Joaquin Valley, where many of the state's oranges and lemons are grown, according to the National Weather Service. The subfreezing conditions came after a weekend of record lows.
Citrus growers have lost between 50 percent and 75 percent of their crops, said Philip LoBue, a farmer and trade group leader.
"When you're already cutting ice within the oranges, you know those are gone," he said.
And;
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7006134839Snow, Ice Blanket Midwest
January 14, 2007 9:38 a.m. EST
Nicole King - All Headline News Staff Writer
Springfield, MO (AHN) - Power outages, airport delays and closed highways are just some of the problems being caused by the winter storm that's pounding the mid-west. The storm is expected to continue throughout the weekend, spreading ice and snow from Illinois to Texas.
Authorities say the storm is to blame for at least seven deaths. In Missouri, about 90,000 homes and businesses are without power, especially in the St. Louis area. Power crews worked all night long to catch up with the outages and prepare for additional ice that's expected.
Authorities opened several shelters in Missouri for the homeless, and people with special needs and medical conditions.
Both Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt and Texas Gov. Rick Perry activated the National Guard Saturday. Blunt declared a state of emergency.
The storm is also bringing with it tornadoes. At least 13 homes were damaged in San Marcos, Texas by twisters that also knocked down power lines. More than six inches of rain fell in Central Texas and caused minor flooding.
At Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport, about 300 flights were canceled. There were also cancellations in St. Louis, Kansas City, Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
More than 92,000 people are without power in Oklahoma. Freezing rain, ice and snow blanketed the ground from northwest Oklahoma to Wisconsin.
And;
http://http://www.cattlenetwork.com/...ontentid=96380Colorado Group Estimates Storm Killed Up To 15,000 Cattle
DENVER (AP)--Up to 15,000 cattle may have been killed by a snowstorm that buried southeastern Colorado under several feet of snow and built drifts up to 15 feet high, a Colorado Cattlemen’s Association official said Monday.
That would be more than four times higher than the 3,500 cattle that state officials estimated were killed, but the smaller number included only range cattle and did not account for thousands of livestock in feedlot pens.
Terry Fankhauser, executive vice president of the state cattlemen’s association, said he estimates between 10,000 and 15,000 cattle died. He said he based his estimate on conversations with ranchers and feedlot owners.
“We’re waiting on pins and needles“ to hear whether ranchers will receive federal disaster aid as requested by the state, Fankhauser said.
State officials have said many ranchers will not have an accurate count of their losses until more snow melts. Fankhauser estimated that up to one-third of ranchers in the area have not located all their cattle.
A storm that hit Dec. 28 left thousands of cattle stranded without food or water in the southeastern part of the state. Colorado National Guard troops used helicopters and large trucks to deliver hay to livestock.
By Monday, many roads had been made passable and ranchers were able to start feeding their own cattle after the second of three snowstorms to hit Colorado in two weeks, said Laura McConnell, a spokeswoman for a state team coordinating relief efforts.
Someone much smarter than me will point out that global warming is the cause of all of this.
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Originally Posted by MtnBiker
