Sat January 12, 2013 From Corn Belt To Main Street: The
Drought's Far-Reaching Grasp Originally published on Sat January
12, 2013 6:37 pm The U.S. had its hottest year on record last
year. That heat, combined with the relatively dry winter that
came before, has brought a historic drought. From forest fires
and low crop yields, to infrastructure and recreation, the
drought has been costly, with early estimates putting the cost
at between $50 billion and $80 billion. The U.S. Department of
Agriculture has declared a disaster area in more than 1,000
counties, and now the drought is hitting America's most
important waterway — the Mississippi River. Water levels are so
low that the Army Corps of Engineers is taking emergency action
to keep the river navigable. "This is critically important to
the economy of the Midwest and of the nation," Illinois Sen.
Dick Durbin told reporters a few weeks ago. But beyond the dusty
plains and dry rivers, the ripple effects of the drought are now
being felt throughout the U.S. A N