“Mother Nature has wielded a wicked hand to agriculture and many others in the Midwest this year.”
So it is looking at nearly six months of invasive conditions in harm’s way.
Winter was “like never before,” according to some descriptions. Yet, others quickly reflected tougher cold, wet, snowy conditions. Still this recent winter had additional detrimental impaction from short feedstuffs due to the previous dry summer.
Native grasslands are likely forever scarred from continually deepened mud ruts created by ranchers moving nourishment to hungry cowherds.
Seriousness was more extreme as unceasing pour downs caused flooding of the nation’s richest cropland. Much of that will never approach quality of previous lifetime. Yet, worse is the loss of human lives, accompanied by livestock deaths, homes, buildings and equipment valued in the multi-millions.
Staggering are the acreages reported with extensive damages from earlier rainfalls fortunately prompting government financial assistance. Money is essential for livelihood but cannot replace lives, top soil and family heritage of centuries.
Add to terribleness, rainfall has continued with flash flooding frequent in many locales earlier not harmed. Major overflowing remains in almost daily warnings as occasional reprieves are soon replaced by worst threats.
Those missing high waters soon got humungous hail stripping trees, grassland, fences and homes. Sprouting leaf growth was gone, pastures appeared burned, and fence posts flattened. Some homes completely destroyed while others extensively expensively damaged.
As those were reeling for relief, tornado warnings dominated airwaves “coming now take immediate shelter.”
Uncertain how many touched ground, but wherever one landed losses were heavy sometimes adding to nature’s earlier knockouts.
Airwaves picture stories revealed horridness in certain locales yet reruns of those terrifying damages were far from complete.
An Angus breeder friend sent a photo verifying the “real power of these monsters.” One tornado went through a tall tree timber “leaving a quarter mile wide path of devastation resembling a bombed battlefield.”
A dairy operation was totally devastated with “19 prize winning animals lost.” A 30-acre nursery destroyed. Forty-six houses demolished and many more damaged. Personal items were found 70 miles away.
As horrific as Mother Nature’s actions, most importantly, no lives were lost. “Resilience of the people involved is amazing.” Helping hands come from everywhere offering assistance.
Reminded of First Timothy 6:19: “To help others builds a lasting treasury gaining true life.”
+++ALLELUIA+++
XIII–24–6-9-19