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White Christmas Makes for Holiday Nightmare
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Photo of downed utility poles in Kansas courtesy of KSN |
The familiar strains of “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” produced few sentimental stirrings in much of the West over the holidays. Blizzards pummeled the region, dumping several feet of wind-driven snow before moving on. Hardest hit were eastern Colorado and western Kansas, both ill-equipped to deal with such extreme weather.
Conditions that put Kansas in a deep freeze will probably make it the costliest storm to ever hit the state. While the dollar damage to buildings, livestock and infrastructure was not tabulated at this time, utility losses alone may reach $350 million. More than 9,700 power poles and hundreds of miles of transmission lines were brought down by ice.
High winds and blizzard conditions drove cattle into yet undiscovered hiding places. Where large tracts of land are necessary to provide ample food and water to care for them, animals can become spread out over several miles of land. Some will not be found until the 8-10 foot drifts melt this spring.
This doesn’t even begin to account for the yet untold losses and stress to area wildlife.
“At this time, we know approximately 8,000 cattle have been found dead in Colorado alone, and with 340,000 cattle located in the southeast quarter of our state, more losses are expected,” said Terry Fankhauser of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association.
Millions of dollars in losses to the livestock industry in Kansas alone are expected just on weight loss, reports the Kansas Livestock Association.
The business of raising cattle is tough work under normal conditions and after enduring several years of record-setting drought, this area’s economy was just beginning to recover. Those determined to never again complain about moisture in any form were questioning their resolve, many who were rebuilding their herds after being forced to sell most of their cattle with the onslaught of severe aridity.
“These cattle producers care deeply about the welfare of their animals and with the help of many others undertook extraordinary efforts to locate and provide feed for their animals. Under the current circumstances, caring for these cattle was an extremely difficult undertaking,” observed Fankhauser.
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Photo courtesy of KSN See more photos |
“This storm will have an economic impact on not only the producers, but the communities; with escalating hay prices, sick animals, reduced weight gains, damaged property, and more, so our efforts are far from finished.”
While both Kansas and Colorado share presidential disaster declarations, this assistance destined for recovery efforts in storm-damaged communities is not available for losses suffered by farmers and ranchers.
“The help at the local and state levels has been there from the beginning and is continuing, even with the sun shining. Unfortunately, the help at the federal level has been disappointing,” Fankhauser added. “This further solidifies that we must help ourselves. We must rely on ranchers helping ranchers.” One of the first respondents was the Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association, grateful for the help they received during Hurricane Katrina.
“We’re all safe here, we thank the Lord for that,” stated Bob Patterson, southeastern Colorado rancher. He and his family partnered with the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust in the protection of their 19,000-acre ranch.
Having been plowed out once, and after two additional storms, they were again waiting to be freed from their snowy incarceration. Rock hard drifts dominated the way, and after eight hours, his rescuers hadn’t yet breached his four-mile road.
The final hope for this region resides in the indomitable spirit of the people who inhabit this rugged landscape. The resiliency of the land and the people was demonstrated in Patterson’s final remark, “At least we’ll have green grass this spring!”
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in cooperation with the National Cattlemen’s Foundation, activated a disaster relief fund effort for ranchers hit by these blizzards; 100 percent of which will be distributed to cattlemen in need. Donations can be made at www.nationalcattlemenfoundation.com or by calling NCBA at 866-233-3872.
(posted 2/9/07)
