The drought of 1988 hit hardest in the upper Midwest _ perhaps nowhere harder than in North Dakota. More disaster relief aid went there than to any other state. The third story in a four-part series, ``Cashing In on the Drought,'' examines how the $3.9 billion disaster aid program helped farmers most in need.
The drought of 1988 hit hardest in the upper Midwest with more relief aid ($100 million) going to North Dakota than any other state. North Dakota, the nation's most agriculturally dependent state and the number one producer of hard-red spring wheat, lost two-thirds of its 1988 crop. The $3.9 billion relief aid, due to lax rules outside the Midwest, led to thousands of farmers collecting millions of dollars for normal trials of nature. However, money did reach areas Congress most intended to aid, including North Dakota, where it kept some farmers on their land and may have prevented some business closures.