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Overview
What is drought?
What causes drought?
What is Dust Bowl?
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Drought is an important climatic event that affects the entire environment all around the world. It is the second-most costly weather event after hurricanes. Drought is a lack of precipitation ( such as rain, snow, or sleet) in a place for a protracted period of time which results in a water shortage. The lack of adequate precipitation can cause reduced soil moisture or groundwater, diminished streamflow, and crop damage. The duration of droughts varies widely. It may last for weeks, months, or years and the beginning of drought is hard to pinpoint. The longer a drought lasts, the greater the harmful effects it has on people. Drought occurs naturally but some human activities such as excessive water use and improper management can exacerbate dry conditions.
One of the worst droughts to hit the United States occurred during the 1930s. A severe drought occurred in the southern plains states, including parts of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Nevada, which lasted for about 10 years. The drought was made worse by the fact that farmers had plowed up so much land that there was no grass to hold it together anymore, causing black dust to fly up anytime there was wind. As high winds and choking dust swept the region from Texas to Nebraska, people and livestock were killed and crops failed across the entire region. This was known as the 'Dust Bowl', and it forced thousands of people to flee their homes forever.
Droughts affect people in several ways. Clean drinking water is essential for all life, and sources of water may diminish during a drought. Without water, humans are at risk for dehydration (not having enough water to drink and potentially fatal condition ), or hunger. Remember - no water means no crops, and this means a decrease in the food supply. Also, crops need water to grow, and during a drought, water sources (lakes, rivers, streams) are diminished and may even dry up, preventing crops from being irrigated and causing them to die off. Fruits and vegetables growing in the ground will stop growing, and entire crops can be destroyed because the ground is so dry. Also, drought affects the environment, dry conditions often lead to landslides or wildfires.
Consequently, people may not drink clean water, eat fresh vegetables or fruits, take a shower, swim, animals may extinct, and people may not survive at all.