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Drought & Climate Change

June 30, 2022
By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Dan Rupp
It’s no secret climate change is affecting many aspects of the world from more frequent severe storms to ocean toxicity but perhaps one of the most impactful to American people living in the U.S. is drought.

If you’ve lived in the Western U.S., you probably have had direct impacts from the ongoing drought recently. Some years were better than others but from 2011 to 2021 more than 100 billion dollars in damages were brought on by eleven droughts in the nation. Let’s step through some of the impacts that occurred.

Warmer temperatures can shrink the water supply by increasing evaporation which can force people to ration their water use. Higher water costs and the decimation of wells have been a huge problem in recent years in states like California and Arizona. Decreased snowfall has been tough for salmon, a cold water species, and water management systems that rely on spring snowmelt.

The lack of precipitation has a direct impact on agriculture. Top crops that have shown vulnerability to drought conditions are soybeans, wheat and corn. In 2012, the U.S. Department of Agriculture was forced to declare a natural disaster for 71% of the United States due to crop failures.

Another big issue exacerbated by drought is transportation due to buckled roads from dry surfaces, lowered river levels, and warped public transit cables. In 2013, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers actually had to dredge part of the Mississippi River and clear obstructions due to low water levels. Wildfires also had a profound impact on the U.S. by burning huge amounts of forests and degrading air quality and drinking water. The largest and deadliest fire in California occurred in 2018 where 19,000 homes were destroyed and sadly killed 85 people. 

Impacts from drought are forecast to only get worse in the future but it’s not all doom and gloom. Some governments and businesses have taken steps to reduce their carbon footprint and have found solutions to adapt. It’s important to modify how we live in order to thrive in the new climate by adjusting crop choices, finding alternative water supplies, and planning around extreme heat waves. Constant research into the topic is also a reason for optimism. For example, scientists were able to find genetic data to help certain crops last longer in periods of drought. The Pacific Institute and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) published a report showing that building efficient bathroom and kitchen fittings, repairing leaks, and using more hardy plants for lawns could reduce water use by more than half. 

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Story Image: Pixabay.com