Drought declaration issued for Oklahoma

Drought conditions have led to a federal agricultural disaster declaration in all but two Oklahoma counties. <br/><br/>That's opened the way for low-interest loans for farmers whose dry fields have

Tuesday, August 9th 2005, 5:03 pm

By: News On 6

Drought conditions have led to a federal agricultural disaster declaration in all but two Oklahoma counties.

That's opened the way for low-interest loans for farmers whose dry fields have been scorched by heat and high winds. Only Oklahoma's most western Panhandle counties, Cimarron and Texas, are not named as agricultural disaster areas.

In northeastern Oklahoma, rainfall is more than 7 inches below normal. Farther south, it's even drier.

Oklahoma is usually hot and dry in summer months, but this year's March-May period ranked as the driest since 1921.