Climate Central - The Drought In Six Graphics
The U.S. is experiencing its worst drought in more than 50 years, and one of the top 10 droughts on record. In terms of drought extent and intensity, it is the worst drought since at least 1956, and has been compared to the devastating droughts of the Dust Bowl era during the 1930s, although those droughts were more intense. As of July 31, 62.91 percent of the lower 48 states was in at least moderate drought, down slightly from 63.86 percent on July 24. The Agriculture Department has taken the unprecedented step of declaring more than 50 percent of all U.S. counties as natural disaster areas, making them eligible for federal assistance to help struggling farmers.
What's causing this drought, why did it develop so quickly, and how bad is it, really?
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Although natural climate variability, such as a La Niña event that only recently dissipated, likely contributed to the drought, very warm temperatures have worsened the situation. This is the country's warmest year-to-date, with much of the nation broiling for most of the summer under the influence of a massive "Heat Dome" of High Pressure. The heat did not cause the drought, according to drought specialists, but it hasn't helped matters, since it accelerates the drying of soils and vegetation, thereby damaging crops.
In the exceedingly dry state of Oklahoma, Tulsa and Oklahoma City recorded back-to-back August days with a high temperature of 112°F. In Oklahoma City, this was the warmest it has been since the Dust Bowl, and just 1 degree shy of the city's all-time high temperature record. As you can see from this next map, the heat bullseye has been squarely focused on Oklahoma during late July into early August.
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http://www.climatecentral.org/blogs/key-images-of-the-extreme-us-drought-14746/
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