The governor of West Virginia declared a state of emergency amid dangerous drought conditions battering the Appalachian state on Friday as a nasty heatwave continues to sweep across parts of the U.S.
Gov. Jim Justice issued a proclamation early on Friday declaring the state of emergency, with the Republican harping on the impact the drought has on the state's farmers. Agriculture is one of the state's leading industries.
"This drought has plagued West Virginia farmers, putting them at risk of losing everything. We cannot and will not stand by and watch our hardworking farmers suffer from this severe lack of rain," he said, according to a press release. "We understand the immense stress and hardship this drought has caused."
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The state of emergency is in place for all 55 of the state's counties, and it's slated to remain in effect for 30 days unless it's ended by another proclamation or extended by one.
"The U.S. Drought Monitor indicates extreme, severe and moderate drought conditions have impacted the entire state," the press release states. It adds that the governor mobilized the Emergency Management Division, which he said is "working tirelessly to secure disaster assistance for those in need."
The focus seems to be on the agricultural communities primarily, with the governor concluding, "We are committed to doing everything we can to support our agricultural community during this challenging time."
Local farmers told local station WTRF that they were concerned about the state of their produce, their livestock and finances amid the drought. Martin Schaffer, who owns Four Seasons Farm, told the outlet he lost half of his blueberry crops and anticipates a bad apple season.
Schaffer added that his blackberries and raspberries are doing well, but that's only because he's running his sprinkler system almost constantly, he said. Plants inside the greenhouses he operates have burned up in the sun, it was reported, and the soil is cracked in their pots and beds.
But what Shaffer told the outlet he's most concerned about is his livestock, since the lack of rain has resulted in a shortage of hay to feed them. If farmers can't procure more of the substance, their livestock will starve and they'll have to reduce their herds.
Farmers are holding out hope for some soil-softening rain that will help plants grow again and get their remaining crops back on track. The U.S. Drought Monitor map for West Virginia, which was attached to the press release about the state of emergency, shows the eastern tips of West Virginia suffering the worst droughts — but the entire state is experiencing at least some form of dryness.
According to the data, 15.67% of the state was under "Extreme Drought" conditions, while 52.43% was under at least a "Severe Drought" label. The numbers are up by several percentage points in the worse categories,
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