New research shows how a variety of natural disasters are impacting the nation’s food supply, presenting costly challenges to ranchers and farmers who are already struggling. The full report covers over 3,000 U.S. counties and all 50 states. … Drought is a persistent challenge on the West Coast, particularly in California, as well as the Southwest and parts of the Southern Plains, where water scarcity hampers crop yields and livestock production. In fact, California leads the nation in agricultural losses due to natural hazards, with farms in the state incurring an estimated $1.3 billion in losses annually.

Other drought impact news:

• The Sacramento Bee (Calif.): Opinion: From droughts to human mistakes, California salmon near extinction
• Eastern Arizona Courier (Safford, Ariz.): Drought has depleted state’s quail numbers, AZGFD says