11 Facts About Droughts

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1. A “drought” is an extended period of deficient rainfall relative to the statistical multi-year average for a region. But because of the various ways it is measured, an objective drought definition has yet to be produced upon which everyone can agree.^[Graham, Steve. "Drought: The Creeping Disaster." NASA Earth Observatory, 2010. Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]
2. The four types are: meteorological (lack of precipitation), agricultural, (lack of moisture in the soil where crops grow), hydrological (low levels of water in lakes and reservoirs), and socioeconomic (water shortages in drinking and running water).^[The National Drought Mitigation Center. "Types of Drought." Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]
3. Only .003% of water on Earth is freshwater available for human consumption. Save water by challenging friends to only use 13 gallons of water in a day. (It’s harder than it sounds!) Sign up for 13 Gallon Challenge.^[Landscape For Life, Based on the principles of the Sustainable Sites Initiative™ program. "Water." Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]
4. Meteorologists predict drought based on precipitation patterns, stream flow, and moisture of soil over long periods of time.^["National Weather Service Birmingham, AL Weather Forecast Office. "What is meant by the term drought?" Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]
5. In the United States, droughts are most likely to occur in the Midwest and the South.^[Graham, Steve. "Drought: The Creeping Disaster." NASA Earth Observatory, 2010. Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]
6. In the United States, droughts can have major impact on agriculture, recreation and tourism, water supply, energy production, and transportation.^[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Climate Impacts on Water Resources." Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]
7. Nationwide losses from the US drought of 1988 exceeded $40 billion, more than the losses caused by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the Mississippi River floods of 1993, and the San Francisco earthquake in 1989.^[Graham, Steve. "Drought: The Creeping Disaster." NASA Earth Observatory, 2010. Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]
8. The effects of drought make it difficult to support food crops. A prolonged drought could lead to famine.^[U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "Horn of Africa Famine." Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]
9. In the Horn of Africa, the 1984-1985 drought led to a famine, which killed 750,000 people.^[Graham, Steve. "Drought: The Creeping Disaster." NASA Earth Observatory, 2010. Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]
10. In the United States, the West has experienced less rain over the past 50 years, as well as increases in the severity and length of droughts; this has been especially of concern in the Southwest.^[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Climate Impacts on Water Resources." Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]
11. As the climate heats up, droughts are expected to become more frequent and severe in some locations.^[Earth Science Communications Team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "The current and future consequences of global change." Web Accessed April 10, 2015.]