drought

River barges are an efficient way to move crops — 15 barges can hold about as much grain as 1,000 semi-trucks. But low river levels are driving up transportation costs for Midwest farmers.

Water scarcity could threaten the Midwest as climate change puts pressure on water systems. With that scarcity, legal fights over water could become more common.

The bagpipe dates back thousands of years, with a rich history and tradition especially in Irish and Scottish communities. Today, we'll meet Kansas City bagpiper Griffin Hall, and learn about the gig that will take him and his instrument to Scotland. Plus: Southwest Kansas is now renowned for beef and grain production, but it used to be known as the watermelon capital of the country. The fruit crop spurred a multibillion dollar agriculture industry, but the water that sustained the melon industry ran dry.

Missouri's cicada outburst has worsened the spread of diseases for farmers. It comes after years of difficult weather conditions, including the recent drought, that have taken a toll on apple growers.

Black women hoping to conceive using donor sperm often have to choose a donor from a different race or put their fertility journey on hold because of a shortage of Black sperm donors. One woman tells us her story. Plus: Parts of Missouri, Kansas and other Midwest states are still in drought, despite recent rains.

This year saw one of the wettest Aprils on record in Missouri, which is welcome during the state’s ongoing drought. And the state is already seeing more rain in May.

Planting is well underway across the Midwest, but farmers are still grappling with dry conditions that led to lower than normal corn yields last fall. It’s the third year of a near historic drought for parts of the Corn Belt.

This year, wildfires have already burned thousands of acres in the Great Plains. Dry conditions and unseasonably warm temperatures have optimal settings for wildfires, and some experts say they are seeing more intense fires.

A dry winter, El Niño and the warmest winter temperatures on record are contributing to ongoing dry conditions across the Midwest.

Missouri applied for the grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture after two straight years of drought forced some livestock farmers to reduce their herd size because they did not have enough food or water.

Worldwide, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said last week that 2023 has a greater than 99% chance of being the hottest on record. During the August heat wave in Missouri, the state saw more than 260 temperature records tied or broken.

Huge swaths of Missouri and Kansas have continued to be stuck in a months-long drought. But El Niño, a months-long weather pattern that typically brings warm winters and extra precipitation to the central U.S., brings hope.