Country faces widest drought since 1956 - Fox 2 News Headlines

Country faces widest drought since 1956

A new report says the drought gripping the United States is the widest since 1956, and the effect on the nation's corn and soybean crops is alarming.

Fifty-five per cent of the continental U.S. faces a moderate to extreme drought, according to the monthly State of the Climate drought report released Monday by the National Climactic Data Center.

That's the most since December 1956, when 58 per cent of the country was covered by drought.

This year, 80 per cent of the U.S. is abnormally dry.

The nation's corn and soybean belt has been especially hard hit. The report says crops, pastures and rangeland have deteriorated at an alarming rate.

Meanwhile, Weather Authority Jessica Starr is calling for high temperatures to reach the mid to upper-90s for the beginning of the week in metro Detroit.

So far this month, only one day has topped out with a high temperature that was below average.