Corn stalks suffering from drought conditions are seen on a farm on August 7, 2012 in Mechanicsville, Maryland. The agriculture industry in certain parts of Maryland has been suffering lack of rain and high temperatures. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
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Reporter's GalleryANNAPOLIS, Md. (CBSDC/AP) — Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley is asking federal officials for drought aid for 13 of the state’s 23 counties.
The governor announced Wednesday that he had written to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack seeking a disaster designation for the counties on the Eastern Shore and in central and southern Maryland. The state estimates farmers in the counties have lost between 30 and 54 percent of their crops.
The request covers Dorchester, Somerset, Calvert, Kent, Talbot, Caroline, Wicomico, Cecil, and Queen Anne’s counties on the Eastern Shore. Anne Arundel, Charles, Calvert and Prince George’s counties are also included. State officials say rainfall has been 70 percent of normal since the end of January.
State agriculture officials, meanwhile, says they’re offering free grain testing for toxins present during drought that are poisonous to livestock.
Scientists stated this week that July was the hottest ever recorded in the Lower 48 states.
(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
