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THIRTY PERCENT OF THE U.S. EXPERIENCING DROUGHT
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Posted on Mar 10, 2002
The Climate Prediction Center, which monitors weather conditions
in the United States, released data on March, 5, 2002 indicating that almost
a third of the country is suffering from drought. According to Christina
Ward of disasterrelief.org, "If the dry trend continues as expected, many
regions of the country could encounter severe water shortages this spring
and summer. Already, some states have announced drought emergencies and are
drawing water from back-up supplies."
Douglas LeComte, of the Climate Prediction Center told
disasterrelief.org, "Since last October, high-pressure systems have
deflected storm patterns to the south and north of affected areas along the
East Coast, missing localities in need of precipitation." La Nina is
considered a factor in the dryness in the West.
Mark Svoboda, a climatologist with the National Drought
Mitigation Center, told the Associated Press. "This is a sleeping giant. The
impact is still to come."
From the National Drought Summary:
"The East: A storm brought 1 to 2 inches of rain to drought
areas along the Eastern Seaboard on March 2-3, offering some respite from
the persistent dry weather that has dominated the region since autumn.
Although the rain was beneficial, it was not sufficient to significantly
alter the overall drought picture, allowing extreme drought to continue over
Maine, the mid-Atlantic from New Jersey to northern Virginia, and the
Southeast from South Carolina to eastern Georgia. The drought in the
mid-Atlantic and Northeast remains mostly a hydrological drought, with
impacts on ponds, lakes, rivers, wells, and reservoirs. However, there are a
variety of other effects from the drought, including long-term impacts on
vegetation and trees.
According to preliminary data, the Northeast experienced the
second driest September-February in 107 years of record. The 12 months
ending in February were the driest on record in Maine. New Jersey, Delaware,
and Maryland reported the driest February on record.
The Plains and Midwest: The early-March storm had little impact
on dryness in this region, as the heaviest snow and rain mostly fell in
areas not experiencing abnormal dryness. Abnormally dry conditions continued
in the northern Plains, with severe to extreme drought persisting in
southwest Texas. Moderate drought intensified to severe drought in extreme
southern Texas. Drought also intensified to severe levels in western
Oklahoma and southwest Kansas." - Climate Prediction Center, NOAA /
disasterrelief.org / Associated Press - Graphic: Climate Prediction Center -
Map shows ranges from abnormally dry (Yellow) to exceptionally dry (Dark
Brown)
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