Farmers set prayer vigil in hopes of rain

COURTLAND -- Area farmers are turning to a higher power in hopes of saving their crops from the worst drought in more than 65 years.

Retired farmer Hood Harris has organized a prayer at 11 a.m. today at Courtland Presbyterian Church on Hamilton Street.

"This is not a dry spell. This is a drought," Harris said Thursday as he looked over a sun-parched cornfield in North Courtland. "This is the driest I've ever seen it around here at this time of year."

Only 1941 was drier than this year during the first five months of the year.

A few showers were reported around northwest Alabama, but it did little to reduce the rainfall deficit that now exceeds 14 inches in the Shoals.

"I'm a firm believer in God and his miracles. We need a miracle to break this drought," Harris said.

As he applied fertilizer to a bone-dry cotton field in Town Creek on Thursday, Lawrence County farmer Doug Pullen said the prayer vigil could be just the ticket for bringing rain to the Tennessee Valley.

"It's not a bad idea. It might work," Pullen said. "We need some rain really bad. I've seen it dry before, but never like this."

Pullen said the dry weather has slowed the growth of his cotton but it has not been hurt as bad as cornfields.

"We've got some cornfields around the area that if they don't get rain by early next week, we can write them off. They will be too far gone to save," said Heath Potter, Cooperative Extension agent.

"Every cornfield you see has wilted spots."

Some soybeans in Lauderdale County have already been killed by the drought, he said. "The seed sprouted but died in the furrow because it was so dry."

Potter said numerous veteran farmers around northwest Alabama have said this is the driest spring they can remember.

"We're within a few days of losing a lot of the corn crop," Harris said. "The cotton is in a little better shape, but if we don't get some rain within a week or two, it will be gone too."

Robert Boyd, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Huntsville, said no significant rain is expected through the middle of next week. There is a 30 percent chance of rain Sunday, but even if the forecast comes to fruition, it will do little to erase the drought.

Harris said today's prayer vigil is not just for farmers. If the drought continues, water supplies could be affected and wildfires could become more common.

The Alabama Forestry Commission has declared a fire alert for the entire state to warn residents of the potential for woods and grass fires.

Gov. Bob Riley has issued a drought warning and is encouraging public water systems and residents with wells to prepare for possible water shortages this summer.

Dennis Sherer can be reached at 740-5746 or dennis.sherer@timesdaily.com.