Horrendous Loss of Cattle in the High Plains Blizzard

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RAPID CITY, S.D. — Tens of thousands of cattle died in South Dakota following a blizzard that could become one of the most costly in the history of the state’s agriculture industry.
As state officials spent Monday calculating the multimillion-dollar impact to the regional economy from Friday's storm, ranchers began digging up hundreds of cattle that are still buried beneath feet of snow.
"This is absolutely, totally devastating," said Steve Schell, a 52-year-old rancher from Caputa. "This is horrendous. I mean the death loss of these cows in this country is unbelievable."
Schell said he estimated he had lost half of his herd, but it could be more. He was still struggling to find snow-buried cattle and those that had been pushed miles by winds that gusted at 70 miles per hour on Friday night.
Martha Wierzbicki, emergency management director for Butte County, said the trail of carcasses was a gruesome sight across the region.
Entire story here. 

If you have a freezer, it might not be a bad time to stock up on cuts of meat as the full toll is still not known.


Hat tip: Tanja Fransen

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