Droughts in the United States

Notable droughts that have affected the United States

The Dust Bowl of the 1930s is represented as a period for heavy drought across many states. 1934, 1936 and 1939 would be extremely hot and dry years across the United States. Hot temperatures led to many people's, livestock's and animal deaths all over the United States. Hundred-degree temperatures would be very common over the United States; dust storms were common, everyone residing in the United States suffered. Making matters worse, these really damaging days of drought hit during when the Great Depression was affecting economies, families and children over the United States.

The Northeastern United States were hit with devastating drought which lasted almost four or five years in the 1960s. The drought affected multiple regional cities from Virginia into Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. And some Midwest States became victims of this notorious drought during the same time as the Northeast United States.

Parallel or matching spells hit the Northeast United States during 1999-the Northeast, including Kentucky, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland were pummeled by extensive heat waves which killed almost 700 people across the Northeastern US and unusually dry conditions caused billions of dollars in destruction during 1999. This unusually damaging drought was reminiscent of the Northeast United States Drought of the 1960s considering it affected similar or matching states within the Northeast United States and New England.

The Drought Conditions of the 1980s

Main article: Drought Affecting the United States in 1988

One very exceptional and almost certainly devastating drought in the United States was during 1988 and 1989. The drought baked multiple regions including the Mid-Atlantic, Southeastern United States, the Midwest, the Northern Great Plains and Western United States. This drought was widespread, unusually intense and accompanied by heat waves which killed around 4800 to 17000 people across the United States and also killed many livestock, hens, cattle, horses, farm animals and other animals across the United States. The Drought of 1988 destroyed crops almost nationwide, residents' lawns went brown and water restrictions hit many cities. The Yellowstone National Park fell victim to wildfires that burned many trees and created exceptional destruction in the area.

But wildfires and brush fires were not only in the area of Yellowstone-the same wildfires and brush fires were affecting other states and regional areas all over the United States. The 1988 Drought caused water restrictions in many areas of the country. Residents with brown grass rather than green were common during 1988 and 1989 in widespread areas across the United States. Substandard rainfall was a major contributor and instigator of the Drought of 1988 affecting the United States, along with scorching heat and temperatures which went 90 degrees or better-hundred degree plus temperatures were all too common and frequent during 1988, which exacerbated the weather patterns causing the devastating drought in the first place. Mississippi River levels were lower than normal during 1988 because of the conditions affecting the Upper Midwest.

The droughts of 1988 caused exceptional damages totaling $60 billion in 1988 United States Dollars and became the costliest weather disaster in recorded weather histories to affect the United States. This drought was very catastrophic for multiple reasons. The drought continued across the Upper Midwest States and North Plains States during 1989, not officially ending until 1990. The US Drought of 1988 had an economic force of impact that still lives on in people's minds.

The conditions continued into 1989 and 1990, although the drought had ended in some states thanks to normal rainfalls returning to some portions of the United States. The drought also affected Canada in certain divisions.

The US Drought of 1988 became the worst since the famous droughts from 50 years before in the United States; 2008 estimates put damages from the drought somewhere between $80 billion and almost $120 billion in damage (2008 USD).

The US Drought of 1988 was so devastating that in the later years weather officials compared the drought against Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and against Hurricane Katrina. The US Drought of 1988 would be the costliest of the three events, Hurricane Katrina comes second with $81 billion (2005 United States Dollars), Hurricane Andrew coming in third. The Drought of 1988 qualifies being the most expensive weather disaster in the history of the United States.

Precursor conditions to the Drought of 1988-Southeast US and California were suffering droughts during 1987. These droughts would become the actual forerunners to the Drought of 1988 affecting the US with big losses and heavy human tolls.

Other Historic Droughts in the United States

Droughts also eviscerated the Northeast US, Corn Belt and Midwest States during 1980 and 1983. The 1983 Midwestern States Drought was connected with very dry conditions, severe heat and substandard crop growth which affected prices and caused hardship for farmers. Hundred-degree readings became very prevalent in 1983 during these dry spells and exceptional heat waves all over the Midwest, Ohio Valley Regions and Great Lakes. The associating heat waves killed between 500-700 people in the United States. Similar spells during 1980 caused between 4000 to 12000 deaths in the United States along with $24 billion in damage 1980 USD.

Other famous drought years in the United States happened through the 1950s.

The Midwest and Rockies became victims during 2002; the regions fell victim under exceptional drought which was accompanied by dry conditions, wildfires and hot temperatures over the Western US and Midwestern State areas.

Although the Western United States and Southwestern US are likeliest, droughts can also happen over Upper Midwestern States, the Central Great Plains, Southeast United States, the Middle Atlantic, the Great Lakes Region, the Ohio River Valley, Northeastern United States and even New England. Droughts vary in severity and have potential for causing elevated to exceptional damage wherever they focus their area toward.

The 2000s were notorious for extensive droughts all over the Southeastern United States, continuing as westward as Texas. The Southeastern United States were affected by heavy droughts extending from the Carolinas toward Mississippi and even into Tennessee. Droughts affecting Florida were so severe lakes were actually drying out. Wildfires, forest fires and brush fires were very prevalent in association with the 2000s Drought in the Southeastern United States.

Localized United States Droughts

During 1993 the Southeastern United States were seared with intense temperatures and conditions of drought for extended periods. The heatwaves associated caused the deaths of seventeen people and overall damage from the Southeastern State Drought of 1993 was somewhere between $1 billion and $3 billion in damage (1993 United States Dollars).

Missouri, Arkansas, (portions of) Louisiana, Tennessee, southeast Iowa and northern Illinois were hit with severe droughts and heat during 2005. The conditions caused $1 billion in overall damage, but amazingly, nobody died during the drought and associated heat spells. The Quad Cities themselves received only 17.88 inches of average precip during 2005.

Short term droughts hit particular spots of the United States during 1976 and 1977, which foretold the drought events that would affect many portions of the USA during the 1980s.

What precursed the exceptional Drought of 1988 was the California Drought which lasted for five years beginning in 1987 and continuing until around 1992.

And Texas has notorious histories of drought.

Causes of United States droughts

Contrary to popular belief, droughts can develop anywhere in the United States regardless of the patterns being El Nino, normal or La Nina. The North Atlantic Oscillation is another factor for consideration of droughts in the United States. Also, above normal dominations of high pressure system in any particular regional vicinity of the United States are known seriously for creating droughts.

External links

• National Integrated Drought Information System
• Social & Economic Costs of Drought from "NOAA Socioeconomics" website initiative
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - National Weather Service