Thread: United States' drought has 'extraordinary' reversal

Sources: U.S. Drought Monitor

United States' drought has 'extraordinary' reversal

Updated 1h 55m ago
By Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

What a difference a rain makes. The nationwide drought that had farmers, communities and entire states fighting to conserve water has reversed in the most dramatic turnaround since federal scientists began keeping records.

More than 92% of the country is drought-free — the nation's best showing since 1999.

"The lack of drought is extraordinary," said Douglas Le Comte, a meteorologist with the federal Climate Prediction Center.

MORE FROM USA TODAY: Weather and climate science

At the worst of the USA's most recent drought — in August 2007 — almost 50% of the country was in drought. Currently, about 7% of the country is in a drought, according to federal scientists. The only part of the USA in "extreme" drought is a small fraction of Hawaii.

In 2007, gigantic portions of the Southeast were in the worst drought in over a century, sparking water wars among Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.

"It was horrid," said Teresa Hammack of Mars Hill, N.C., whose springs ran dry in August 2007 at the height of the Southeast drought. Hammack's home relies entirely on underground springs as a source of water.

"Our springs are running rampant, with clean, fresh water," she said.

There have been less than half a dozen occasions since the late 1800s when drought has been as sparse as it is now, Le Comte said.

Even before this month's massive snowfall totals, relief has come in a number of different ways:

• The West has been helped this winterby a Pacific train of storm systems laden with ample moisture. The storms, caused by the ongoing El Niño climate pattern, brought lots of rain and snow to the Southwest, including the normally arid deserts of southern California and eastern Arizona, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

• The southern drought (across Texas, Louisiana, and Florida) was eased by a very wet 2009 fall and winter, said David Miskus, a meteorologist with the Climate Prediction Center.

• Drought relief in the Southeast started arriving a year or two ago, Miskus said. A number of wet weather systems, including Tropical Storm Fay in August 2008, chipped away at the drought, Le Comte reports. By the spring of 2009, a number of soaking weather systems ended the drought in the Georgia area, he said.

"I guess it was time for Mother Nature to make up for the long-term subnormal precipitation with deluges," Miskus said.

In drought-plagued California, the "meteorological drought is pretty much over," said Le Comte, but the state still has a water supply shortfall.

According to the federal Drought Monitor, California reservoir levels, after being down from several consecutive years of subnormal rain and snow, have started to recover, although most have not reached normal capacity.

"We've gone from a very scary situation to an OK situation," said Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. "If it stays wet, we'll stay in an OK situation."

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/drought ... rsal_N.htm

That's great news!!

When Lake Meade in Nevada returns to normal levels we will be out of the drought.

Originally Posted by Captainron

When Lake Meade in Nevada returns to normal levels we will be out of the drought.

That would be nice, but it looks like that may never happen.

Don't say that JD2, never is an awefully long time.

They were trying to say the Great Lakes were drying up. What they don't tell you, is the water level can fluctuate 10 ft in depth, from 5 ft above to 5 ft below the average. Where my family had a waterfront home on the St. Claire River, the water is only about a foot below what it was in the early 70s when I was a kid. The water stayed high until the late 80s when it started to recede. But when I was little guy, it was a sandy beach almost to the end of the dock which goes out to the dropoff in the river, and the dock is about 400ft in length.

Looking at data over time, there have times of high water, and times of low water. Just like the climate, it goes through cycles.

But if you talk to people, and I have at the boat launch, they will tell you the lakes are drying up. I have fun with them. It blows their minds when I tell them they've been duped by the media.