MARYDEL, Del. - While recent rainfall brought some relief to Delmarva, farmers say it is nowhere near enough to reverse the effects of weeks of hot, dry weather.
At Thomas Family Farms in Marydel, irrigation systems have been running around the clock to keep crops alive as much of Delaware remains under drought conditions.
Farmer Luke Thomas said the lack of rain has created difficult conditions throughout the growing season.
"It's been so dry. Of course, it's really hurt a lot of the farmers," Thomas said. "Our particular area in Marydel and Dover seems like every funnel of rain that comes, it parts right before it gets to us. So it either goes south or north. We've really been needing the rain."
Thomas spent part of Monday repairing a broken irrigation system, saying every minute without water can make a difference for crops already stressed by the drought.
Farmers say many irrigated fields are surviving, but crops without access to irrigation are showing significant damage.
Andrew Thomas said some corn fields have already reached the point where they cannot recover.
"Any of the corn that has browned or it's not under irrigation, it's no longer alive," he said. "It's pretty much over with. No matter how much it starts raining now, it's done."
Keeping crops alive also comes with a growing cost. Andrew Thomas said the farm burns hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel each day to power irrigation equipment.
Despite the recent showers, farmers say they will need several more inches of rain in the coming weeks to help replenish dry soil and give this year's crops a better chance at producing a healthy harvest.
For now, they say they'll continue watching the forecast and hoping the next round of rain brings more than just a passing shower.
