Vermilion Parish experiencing extreme drought

Everyone knows it is hot. But what many don’t know is that Vermilion Parish is having major drought issues.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s latest map, one third of Vermilion Parish is under extreme drought conditions. The other two thirds of the parish is under a severe drought.
Also experiencing extreme drought conditions are parts of Iberia, Lafayette and Acadia parishes.
Since 2000, it is only the second time Vermilion Parish has experienced extreme drought conditions. The last time was in 2011.
The Drought Monitor is a map of the United States that comes out every Thursday. The map uses precipitation data to determine the drought conditions throughout the United States.
Categories for the Drought Monitor are divided into five sections labeled D0-D4.
• D0 stands for “abnormally dry,” meaning the region is experiencing dry weather, but a formal drought has not developed yet.
• D1 stands for “moderate drought,” which means the region is experiencing some damage to crops and water levels are getting low.
• D2 stands for “severe drought,” where crop damage is likely and water restrictions might occur.
• Things only get worse in D3 “extreme drought,” where crop losses become major and water levels go extremely low.
• Finally, there is D4 “exceptional drought,” which is the highest category. This final category means widespread crop damage and historically low water levels leading to significant restrictions.
While most parish residents have noticed the drought conditions because their lawns are turning brown, Vermilion Parish sugar cane farmers have more to lose than grass.
Because of the lack of water, sugar cane growth has been stunted by more than 75 percent.
With planting season underway, sugar cane farmers must selectively take the healthiest and tallest sugar cane to cut and plant.
A handful of sugar cane farmers are not waiting for rain and have taken matters into their own hands by pumping water in their sugar cane fields.
Jim Domingues of Erath, who farms 6,000 acres of sugar cane in the parish, recently got a few old water pumps running and began trying to flood his fields with water.
“I have to try something,” Domingues said.
One way to tell sugar cane is in distress is the lack of growth, and the tips at the end of the leaves are beginning to turn brown.
Domingues said any rain would help, but it may be too late because sugar cane is finished growing.
He added that the sugar cane mills have the final say on when harvesting will begin.