MIDLAND, Texas — Although we have seen some pretty impressive drought improvements locally, a lot of the U.S. has seen severe drought persist or even worsen.
This is especially true across the Midwest and along the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys, resulting in the lowest recorded water level for the Mississippi taken in Memphis.
Parts of the river have gotten so low that they've temporarily been deemed impassable to barges. This has prompted the Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard to dredge out portions of the river and keep barge traffic flowing.
Without much rain in the forecast, fears have risen that waters will fall even further, creating additional difficulties and slowing the supply-chain up and down the river to a crawl.
This is particularly true for agricultural products like wheat and corn grown in states like Iowa and Minnesota.
Wheat and other produce is normally transported via barge, but because of the current conditions, transporters are having to rely heavily on rail. This is driving up the cost of wheat and corn which will translate to higher prices at the grocery store.