Articles · Weather
Everything about Drought
6 articles across NWS
Extended period of below-normal precipitation causing water shortages. Droughts affect agriculture, water supply, and wildfire risk across every U.S. region.
Disaster History
Case studies and disaster history
Australia's Millennium Drought 2001–2009: When Drought Lasts Long Enough That Rain Can't Fix What It Broke
Australia's Millennium Drought lasted from 2001 to 2009 - the worst drought in the country's recorded history. The Murray-Darling Basin, which normally produces one-third of Australia's food supply, s
California 2012–2017: The Drought You Could See in Reservoirs - and the One You Couldn't See Underground
The 2012–2017 California drought was the worst in the state's recorded history. Reservoir levels became the visible story - Shasta, Folsom, and other reservoirs dropping to record lows, boat ramps exp
Cape Town 2018: The City That Almost Ran Out of Water - What "Day Zero" Means and How It Was Avoided
In early 2018, Cape Town, South Africa - a city of 4 million people - came within weeks of shutting off water to virtually every home and business in the city. 'Day Zero' was the date officials would
The Dust Bowl (1930s): How America Turned Its Soil to Dust & What It Created
The 1930s Dust Bowl displaced 3.5 million people, killed 7,000 from dust pneumonia, and created modern U.S. agricultural policy. Here's what caused it, what Black Sunday looked like, and what it still
1988 US Drought: When the Mississippi Stopped Moving - How Drought Cascades Through an Entire Economy
The 1988 drought covered 45% of the United States, killed an estimated 5,000-17,000 people in the accompanying heat waves, caused $39-60 billion in losses, and stopped barge traffic on the Mississippi
Preparedness
Preparedness and self-reliance
Also on NWS