The cotton harvest is about to get underway in the Texas High Plains, the windswept region that grows most of the crop in the nation’s top cotton-producing state. But Barry Evans, a third-generation cotton grower, has already walked away from more than 2,000 acres (英亩) of his bone-dry fields. “It just didn’t come up. We hardly had anything,” said Evans.

Extreme heat and a lack of rainfall have severely damaged much of this year’s cotton harvest in the U.S., which produces about 35% of the world’s crop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) forecast that more than 40% of what U.S. farmers planted in the spring would be abandoned because of drought. Nowhere is this more apparent than the flat, dry stretch of Texas. The USDA says Texas cotton farmers are likely to abandon nearly 70% of their spring planting. That has been the worst harvest since 2009.

The region normally receives around 18 to 20 inches of rain per year, but saw less than three inches of rain from August through the summer, as nearly all of Texas baked under drought. Much of the cotton grown in the region needs rain. Even those with irrigated (灌溉的) fields are expecting low yields (产量) this year.

The losses in cotton could cost the Texas High Plains $1.2 billion after farmers receive federal (联邦的) crop insurance payments, estimates Darren Hudson, director of the International Center for Agricultural Competitiveness at Texas Tech University. That leaves out others who depend on the crop, such as cotton gins (轧棉机) and storehouses. “Any time you have a bad year in cotton, it has a role to play in the overall economy,” Hudson said.

Fortunately, most cotton farmers in this part of Texas plan to use cotton seed varieties that can resist drought. Varieties are continuously developed and will be adjusted to generate high yields if dry conditions continue. “Even though it’s drought resistant,” Hudson added, “we still have to have a little bit of help from Mother Nature.”

The publishing industry in Zhuozhou city, Hebei province has suffered a heavy loss due to floodwaters after clays of heavy rain brought by Typhoon Doksuri, Nan fang Metropolis Daily reported on Wednesday.

Countless books were soaked as floodwaters poured relentlessly into the warehouses (仓库) of many publishing houses and book-selling companies.

“The warehouse of our company located in a logistics (物流) park in Zhuozhou has flooded,” a staff member of the book brand “Unread” told Nan fang Metropolis Daily on Tuesday. “We can’t figure out how much our loss is currently.”

The logistics park included nearly 100 book companies.

According to Book China, one of the earliest domestic online book sales platforms, some staff members used sandbags and wooden boards to protect their warehouses in Zhuozhou, but around 4 million books have been damaged by the flood.

Apart from these booksellers, there is also a large number of printing factories, some of which also suffered huge losses in the flood.

Hebei Wensheng Printing Co Ltd, with a registered capital of 20 million yuan, has a number of utility model patents (专利) for book printing equipment. On Tuesday, the company sent online messages for help as the water had flooded to the second floor of the company’s office building in Zhuozhou, trapping over 30 staff members.

“The water level continued to rise since Monday evening and water gradually flooded the second floor of our office building,” said a female staff member surnamed Sun. “The whole factory has flooded and all machines, equipment, books and paper have been soaked.”

According to data from local government, from 8 am Saturday to 11 am Tuesday, the average rainfall of the city reached 355.1 millimeters.

As of 10 am Tuesday, about 134, 000 residents of Zhuozhou had been affected by flooding, data showed.

An earthquake is one of the most common natural disasters. It may cause great damage. So it is wise to learn some simple safety tips to protect yourself or your family members.

Fragile items, like those made of glass should usually be placed on a lower surface, near the ground instead of placing them on cupboards higher up. Never place them near your bed, sofas and other furniture where you would be sitting or lying down. When there is a strong movement, these pieces will fall on the floor directly and on you.

There is a strong chance of short circuits (短路) and fire breakouts during an earthquake. Make sure you turn off electrical connections and gas immediately when an earthquake happens.

During an earthquake, lie beneath an object that is not easily damaged. Do not go near objects that could directly fall on you. Never use the elevator to go down. Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Research has shown that most injuries happen when people inside buildings try to go out. Use the staircases at all times.

If you are outdoors, do not take shelter under a tree, streetlights, electric poles or tall buildings. If you are driving, stop your car and stay in a safe place. Do not park your car under a tree or any tall object.

If trapped in debris (瓦砾堆), cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing. Tap on a pipe or wall so rescuers can find you. Use a whistle (哨子) if one is available. Never shout for help. Shouting can cause you to breathe in dangerous amounts of dust. Do not light a match because you may burn yourself. Do not move about or kick up dust.