What Is A Drought?
A Drought is a prolonged period of little to no precipitation within a certain area. There are actually three levels of drought: meteorological drought, hydrological drought, and agricultural drought. A meteorological drought happens when there has been notably less precipitation than normal, and it usually precedes the other two types of drought. A hydrological drought is when water that is stored in places like aquifers or lakes drops significantly below normal local amounts. Agricultural droughts happen when plants start to suffer from a lack of precipitation. A drought can cause the following effects on an area:
- Damage to local plant life from lack of water, and possible famine as an after-effect
- Strain on local water storage
- Increased odds of wildfires
- Habitat loss for wildlife
- Disruption to businesses that depend on water
- Increased utility bills
There are other impacts as well, depending on the area and severity of droughts.
What Causes Droughts?
Droughts can be caused by a large variety of things. Sometimes it’s just a coincidental but unlikely series of days with little rain. Sometimes it’s a large weather pattern like El Niño or La Niña. It can also be the result of something like global warming.
Can I Prepare For A Drought?
Yes, there are things you can do to prepare for a drought.
- Store water, even bottled water.
- Take shorter showers
- Use a more water-conservative showerhead
- Keep water in a water barrel outside
- Turn the faucet off while doing things like brushing your teeth
- Use the dishwasher, laundry machines, etc. only when needed.
