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US Midwest Spring Flood 2019

Discussion in 'Environmental Discussion' started by tochatihu, Apr 2, 2019.

  1. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Large areas of flyover country are at present swim under country:

    https://s.w-x.co/util/image/w/noaa-2019-flood-risk-map.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273

    This can be compared with corn and soy producing areas:

    http://ctgpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/united-states-top-soybeans-producing-areas-map.jpg
    http://ctgpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/united-states-top-corn-producing-areas-map-1024x782.jpg

    There is media coverage:
    Midwest flooding has killed livestock, ruined harvests and has farmers worried for their future - CNN
    Farmers won't be compensated for millions of dollars of soybeans lost after floods and trade war

    How this goes in terms of insured and uninsured losses, as well as planting decisions, deserves some attention.
     
    #1 tochatihu, Apr 2, 2019
  2. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    #2 tochatihu, Apr 3, 2019
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    looks like no money for puerto rico unless the midwest gets theirs too
     
    #3 bisco, Apr 3, 2019
  4. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Teasing a friend:

    [​IMG]

    Bob Wilson
     
    #4 bwilson4web, Apr 3, 2019
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  5. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Calif. Sierra Nevada is snowed in. Very good for water users there. Not supporting scientific ideas that ENSO cycles dominate that process.

    Oroville Dam's new spillway is holding up well :)

    BTW I used to hang out with those 'snowpack survey' people.

    Related, it has been a 'superbloom' spring in arid and sub-mesic parts of CA. But you know where that leads: Lots of fire fuel when the next dry year happens.
     
    #5 tochatihu, Apr 3, 2019
  6. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Northern Great Plains currently have another reason to delay prep fields and plant. Further south and downstream, Spring flooding was already going to be severe, but after this event, even more.
     
    #6 tochatihu, Apr 10, 2019
  7. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    More snow coming to Wisconsin and Michigan at least.
     
    #7 tochatihu, Apr 26, 2019
  8. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    #8 tochatihu, May 29, 2019
  9. noonm

    noonm Senior Member

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    Effects | Facts – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet

    The relevant section:
    Changes in Precipitation Patterns
    • Average U.S. precipitation has increased since 1900, but some areas have had increases greater than the national average, and some areas have had decreases. More winter and spring precipitation is projected for the northern United States, and less for the Southwest, over this century.

      Projections of future climate over the U.S. suggest that the recent trend towards increased heavy precipitation events will continue. This trend is projected to occur even in regions where total precipitation is expected to decrease, such as the Southwest.
    Expect midwest flooding to become the norm and act accordingly.
     
    #9 noonm, May 29, 2019
  10. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Miss. River basin has almost 150 years of records of water flow at many stations. That level of duration and detail is nearly unique in the world. If a sturdy detection of change to underlying probability distribution function could be detected anywhere, it would be here.
     
    #10 tochatihu, May 29, 2019
  11. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Midwestern US rainfall has remained for months much above normal. Corn and soy planting progress are delayed and here drawn through 2019 May:

    Midwest Flooding, the Corn and Soy Crops, and Knock-On Effects | naked capitalism

    Sprouting conditions can be seen here and in its links:

    https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/accuweather-predicts-another-historic-low-for-corn-planting-as-billion-dollar-disaster-looms/70008479

    But following link is perhaps the most interesting:

    Crop Prices and Flooding: Will 2019 Be a Repeat of 1993? | St. Louis Fed

    For whatever reasons, very much corn and soy is now in storage and this may allow 'riding out' very low harvests in 2019. It is novel and interesting and not what I anticipated in attempting to update this.
     
    #11 tochatihu, Jun 24, 2019
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  12. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    We did not have flooding like the Midwest, but have been having unusually wet spring/early summer. The ground is so wet, I still can't plant potatoes in my garden this year.:cry:
     
    #12 Salamander_King, Jun 24, 2019
  13. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    The morning radio was talking about there going to be a shortage of popcorn this year.
    You can grow them above ground level.
    How to Grow Potatoes Above Ground With Bed Fencing | Home Guides | SF Gate
     
    #13 Trollbait, Jun 24, 2019
  14. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Yeah, if you are growing a few potatoes, maybe doable. I usually grow 200 feet rows of potatoes. That's 50 of cages by this method, and I have no idea where I can get that much of dry soil right now. I have grown potatoes in bags for kids project. That was fun, but was far more work than conventional rows to keep adding soil and composts into the bags. Plus you never get full size potatoes when they are grown in confined area like in a bag or wire fence.
    potato.png
     
    #14 Salamander_King, Jun 24, 2019
    Last edited: Jun 24, 2019
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  15. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    If I ever got back into gardening, I was going to try the bag or fence method for sweet potatoes, but then my lot is less than a tenth of an acre after you discount the house and garage.
     
    #15 Trollbait, Jun 24, 2019
  16. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    You might also want to try "straw bail" gardening method. Again, you will not get as big or as good of yield as directly planted into the soil, but it is easier to prepare the bed than the bag or wire fence method.

    strawbail garden.png
     
    #16 Salamander_King, Jun 24, 2019
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  17. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    #17 tochatihu, Aug 1, 2019
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