Drought Affecting Farmers Again - Flint Adam

It seems its been a pleasant summer temperature wise, but there's a dark side to the weather.

Nashville is extending a streak not seen in at least 60 years.

We're about to finish an 18th straight day, that's all of August so far, with no measurable rainfall.

The National Weather Service says the previous driest start to August was in 2002, when Nashville began August with 13 days without rain.

It's even worse in Unionville, in Bedford County, where folks haven't seen a good rain for months.

Spotting farmer Terry Burris in his field isn't so difficult this summer.

His soybean crops are barely growing.

Burris says, "If we had a normal rainfall this year, they probably would have been waist high at the stage they're in now. And they're probably knee high."

Burris says Middle Tennessee's wet spring wasn't enough to save his crops from a bone-dry summer.

Burris says, "Very little rain in June, then hardly any in July - none in August so far."

Parts of Bedford County are now in a moderate to severe drought, most of the damage coming the past two months.

On paper, it's leagues better than 2007, when the area was in exceptional drought.

In the farmer's world though, the difference is minimal.

The wet spring got Burris' crops off to a good start, they've since been stunted.

Burris says, "Once you get into the field where the corn is thicker, and where it's supposed to be, it's about a third."

Not far away, an even bleaker picture.

Farmer Tony Smith says, "It's just everything's dead - it's just dead - that's all there is to it."

It's been over three months since the Smith farm had some rainfall.

Smith raises cattle-his farm can barely support them now.

Smith says, "It's real dry - we've had about one inch of rain since the first of May."

If the rest of summer remains as dry, he'll thin his herd just so his family can make it through the winter.

Smith says, "I don't know if I'm not paying the preacher enough or what - i don't know what the deal is, but we just haven't been getting any rain."

Farmers say they're not beyond hope.

All they need is a little rain, and maybe things can turn around.

Burris says, "They're trying their best to hang on, they're just waiting on the rain."

Farmers tell us they're hoping remnants of Tropical Storm Fay will send a little rain to Tennessee.

They say the rain that storm could provide could be a lifesaver.
Drought Affecting Farmers Again - Flint Adam