JOHNSTOWN, Pa. —
In the four decades Mary Beth Lieb has been farming with her husband, Ralph, she has seen dry times and wet times, and she has learned one thing: You have to roll with the punches.
“You can’t change Mother Nature,” Lieb said.
A prolonged heat wave, where temperatures have reached levels not seen since the dust bowl days of the 1930s, leaves farmers hoping they can salvage at least part of their summer corn crop.
Depending on when the corn was planted in the spring, some is tall and going into tassel while later plantings are struggling to meet the old adage of being “knee-high by the Fourth of July,” Tom Ford, Penn State Extension horticulture educator, said.
“In some valleys, the corn is beautiful. But on the other end of that valley it looks like a pineapple,” Ford said. “It all depends on who got the showers.”
In Iowa, much of the state has slipped int a drought. Three months ago, 60 percent of the state showed no drought conditions. Now, at over 80 percent of the state is "abnormally dry," according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The hardest-hit areas are in southeast Iowa, where parts of four counties are classified as enduring "severe drought" conditions.
Farmers keep looking to the skies hoping for some long overdue precipitation. In Ottumwa, the average June brings 5.1 inches of rain. This year, the month saw only 3.24 inches. That doesn't sound bad, until you realize that four-fifths of that total fell on June 15-16.
Between June 17 and the end of the month, just over a third of an inch of rain fell. Not enough to keep crops healthy in the searing heat. The extreme heat is expected to break this weekend, but it's not expected to bring any rain.
CNHI/Southeast Iowa
American farmers keeping a parched eye on the skies
- CNHI/Southeast Iowa
-
-
LIVE BLOG: Massive tornado hits south of OKC
A massive tornado touched down Monday afternoon in Moore, Okla., just south of Oklahoma City. Follow live coverage of the aftermath of the storm.
-
VIDEO: Tumblr sold to Yahoo! for $1.1 billion
Yahoo! has purchased Tumblr for $1.1 billion, hoping to compete more effectively with sites like Google and Facebook.
-
What you need to know about preparing for tornadoes
Tornado survivors and seasoned observers suggest people do two simple things to prepare for tornadoes: Know where to take shelter, and move quickly when the time comes.
-
VIDEO: How technology helps predict tornadoes
At the National Storm Prediction Center in Oklahoma, the team charged with predicting tornadoes relies on ever-changing technology to determine when and where storms may strike.
-
Life and Times
-
SLIDESHOW: Tornado passes through Oklahoma
A fast-moving storm brought rain, hail and tornadoes to Oklahoma late Sunday afternoon and evening.
-
Reviving downtown's upper stories
Building by building, the upper stories of downtown Ottumwa are coming back to life after some have sat empty for half a century.
-
Alleged counterfeiter arrested
The Knoxville Police Department reports having a suspect in custody who may be responsible for the counterfeit $100 circulating in town.
-
Officer treated and released after injuries from Oklahoma windstorm
Enid, Okla. police officer Lee Friesendahl was treated and released at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center Saturday night after his patrol car was struck by a strong windstorm triggered by a heat burst.
-
Storms forecast to return later Monday
OTTUMWA -- The first severe weather outbreak of the year didn't do as much damage to southeast Iowa as in other areas, but it's likely on to round two today.
- More CNHI/Southeast Iowa Headlines
-
