10,000 cattle die for heat and humidity

According to officials, extreme heat and humidity in southwest Kansas have caused the deaths of thousands of cattle in recent days. The total number of deaths is difficult to determine, as ranchers are not required to report losses. The state Department of Agriculture has been monitoring the situation, with a spokesperson citing several weather factors that led to heat stress for cattle. Temperatures were in the 80s and low 90s until a sudden spike to 100 degrees on June 11, followed by two more days of triple-digit heat. Reuters reported that at least 2,000 animals were lost based on the number of carcasses state officials were asked to help dispose of, but the number could be much higher, up to 10,000 or more according to DTN, an outlet specializing in agriculture industry analysis.

Scarlett Hagins, Vice President of Communications for the Kansas Livestock Association, stated that while heat stress deaths do occur, they typically do not happen on this scale. The problem, in this case, is that temperatures were high during the day but did not drop at night, or at least not far enough, largely due to uncharacteristically high humidity. This worsened with consecutive days of high heat, and as such, the cattle could not get any relief. Hagins explained that normally western and southwestern Kansas is not humid, making this a unique and unfortunate event.

The rising temperatures are also a concern, with a high of 103 expected on June 16 in Ulysses, reportedly the town hardest hit by the heatwave, followed by 100-degree heat on June 17. The Department of Agriculture is standing by to provide information and assistance as needed and is in contact with ranchers in the area.