Current United States Drought Conditions
Current United States Drought Conditions
Most, if not all of the United States of America is under drought conditions currently. A strip of northeast Maine is experiencing incomparable category D4 drought conditions stretching almost into New Hampshire. All of New Jersey stretching down to southeast Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Maryland, and even northern Virginia are also experiencing category D4 drought conditions. “The overall effected area stretches from Maine to Georgia, with extreme levels in Maine and North Carolina (NOAA, 2002).” Texas is experiencing category D4 drought situations as well. Most if not all of southwestern Texas is experiencing heavy drought conditions with the seasonal drought outlook predicting that this drought will stretch across New Mexico by May. By June this drought originally located in just the southwest portion of Texas is expected to continue stretching westward over New Mexico, Arizona, Southern Nevada, and eastern portions of southern California. Current and forecasted drought outlook can be seen in figures 1 and 2.
Other states around the nation have reported drought conditions as well. Colorado has reported fire risks, along with eleven counties becoming eligible for USDA emergency farm loans due to losses caused by drought. Florida has shown reduced stream flow over the northwest part of the state, along with small brush fires consuming many acres of that region. As of March 13, 2002, Massachusetts indicated that a drought watch remains in the state currently. This drought watch is the third of five action levels in accordance with the Massachusetts state drought management plan. Kansas has also announced that 41 counties are eligible for USDA emergency farm loans due to losses caused by this drought.