Drought Grips Almost Half the Country

March 14, 2000

Government officials say drought has spread across much of the South and north central parts of the country. The dry conditions are expected to persist at least through spring, causing crop shortages in several parts of the nation.

Officials from the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce and the Interior said Monday conditions "probably" will get worse before they get better. Several southern states experienced the driest February on record, and the spring drought outlook appears bleak.

"The La Nina pattern which has dominated the United States for the past two years has created a serious moisture deficit in many areas," said D. James Baker, administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "This could seriously impact farmers, water resource managers, navigation interests and the tourism industry. Forewarned is forearmed."

Drought conditions will persist and in some areas intensify, officials said. Hardest hit will be southern Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida and Georgia in the South, and Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana in the North central part of the country.

Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama experienced the driest February in 106 years. Wildfires have claimed 208,000 acres so far just this year. Areas affected by this year's drought parallel the drought of 1988, the most costly weather disaster in history with an estimated $40 billion in losses, according to NOAA.

Jack Kelly, director of the National Weather Service, said this, the first drought forecast, was made possible by advances in climate research.

NOAA scientists say drier than normal conditions mean a reduced possibility of significant river flooding this spring. But Kelly cautions communities still to be on guard against severe weather and flash flooding.

U.S. Geological Survey Director Charles G. Groat said, "Based on data from the USGS's nationwide stream gauge network, there are some areas of the country, particularly east of the Mississippi River, where stream flows are well below normal for this time of year. We have not had enough water during our normally wet winter to put in our ground water bank for our normally dry summer and fall. We anticipate additional drought problems in the months ahead based on the below normal stream flows and ground water levels we're seeing now."

Although a drought in the Midwest farm belt area would increase grain prices from the very low levels of recent months, farmers in the affected areas would benefit little if their crops are damaged or lost.