Massive drought strikes U.S.

Steven Hausler,AP Photo/The Hays Daily News

A cow looks for something to eat as it grazes in a dry pasture southwest of Hays, Kansas on July 6, 2012. A new report shows the drought gripping the United States is the widest since 1956. The monthly State of the Climate drought report released on July 16, 2012 by the National Climactic Data Center says 55 percent of the continental U.S. is in a moderate to extreme drought. That's the most since December 1956, when 58 percent of the country was covered by drought.

Jason McClure of McClure's Orchard and Winery waters recently-planted apple trees on Tuesday, July 3, 2012, in Peru, Ind. Because of the dry conditions, McClure has to water the trees to keep them healthy.

A pontoon is anchored on a mud flat as the owner could not reach their dock at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, Ind. on July 16, 2012. The reservoir is down nearly 6 feet from normal levels and being lowered 1 foot every five days to provide water for Indianapolis.

A dock extends into a dry cove at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, Ind., on July 5, 2012. The reservoir is down 6 feet from normal levels. Oppressive heat is slamming the middle of the country with record temperatures that aren't going away after the sun goes down. Temperatures exceeded 100 degrees in central Indiana.

John Dunham,AP Photo/The Messenger-Inquirer

Farmer Joe Fischer holds ears of corn showing the variety of kernal development on July 12, 2012, at Fischer Farms Inc. in Owensboro, Ky. Normally the silks would already be brown, Fischer said. "There is no pollen left because the silks were delayed. . . because it has been too hot and dry," Fischer said. All five Owensboro-area counties have been designated primary disaster areas because of drought.

In this July 11, 2012 photo, Steve Niedbalski chops down his drought and heat stricken corn for feed in Nashville, Ill. All of Illinois is officially in a drought, and Gov. Pat Quinn plans a trip to southern Illinois to discuss the state's plans for responding to dry conditions.

Corn stalks struggling from lack of rain and a heat wave covering most of the country are seen on July 16, 2012 in Farmingdale, Ill. The nation's widest drought in decades is spreading. More than half of the continental U.S. is now in some stage of drought, and most of the rest is abnormally dry.

Corn stalks struggling from lack of rain and a heat wave covering most of the country lie flat on the ground on July 16, 2012 in Farmingdale, Ill.

Corn stalks struggling from lack of rain and a heat wave covering most of the country are seen on July 16, 2012 in Farmingdale, Ill. The nation's widest drought in decades is spreading. More than half of the continental U.S. is now in some stage of drought, and most of the rest is abnormally dry.

A man crosses a dusty road in Hammonton, N.J., on July, 6, 2012. Extremely dry conditions and temperatures in the 90's have curtailed outdoor activity in much of the region.

AP Photo/Journal & Courier, John Terhune

The water-covered area of the Celery Bog continues to shrink due to lack of rain and high temperatures on July 11, 2012, in West Lafayette, Ind. Large areas of Celery Bog that are normally covered by water are drying out and becoming covered by plants.

As water recedes, the bottom of Celery Bog continues to crack and dry out on July 11, 2012 in West Lafayette, Ind. Large areas of the bog that are normally covered with water now give way to a variety of thick weeds. Not much can be done to raise the Celery Bog's water level. So naturalists are trying to learn from the effects of the statewide drought, which has caused much of the West Lafayette wetland to evaporate.

A man walks on a path surrounded by dry grass at Schulyer Flatts Cultural Park in Menands, N.Y., on July 13, 2012. State officials are warning campers and boaters about a high fire danger and low water levels due to hot weather and a lack of rain over the past 10 days.

An empty dock sits on the bottom of a dry cove at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, Ind. on July 16, 2012. The reservoir is down nearly 6 feet from normal levels and being lowered 1 foot every five days to provide water for Indianapolis.

Boats sit on the dry, cracked bottom in a dry cove at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, Ind. on July 16, 2012.

The gate is closed on a boat ramp leading to a dry cove at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, Ind., on July 16, 2012. The reservoir is down nearly 6 feet from normal levels and being lowered 1 foot every five days to provide water for Indianapolis.

Central Illinois cattle keep cool by wading into a farm pond during a record breaking heat wave with dry weather conditions that is across most of the country on July 6, 2012 in Farmingdale, Ill. There's been no relief day or night from a scorching heat wave in the central U.S., and the deadly temperatures were heading east Friday after Midwest cities like Chicago, St. Louis and Milwaukee set record highs.