And here we are risking our water source!

Almost Half of U.S. in Drought

WASHINGTON, DC, August 15, 2002 Drought is now affecting almost half of the contiguous United States, according to the National Climatic Data Center. Above normal temperatures and drier than normal conditions occurred across large parts of the United States in July, and led to persistent or worsening drought in many states. At the end of the month, 49 percent of the contiguous United States was in moderate to extreme drought, based on the Palmer Drought Index, a common measure of drought severity.

The Palmer Drought Index uses numerical values derived from weather and climate data to classify moisture conditions throughout the contiguous United States and includes drought categories on a scale from mild to moderate, severe and extreme.

Precipitation was well below average in 27 states in July. New York had its second driest July on record, and it was the third driest July since 1895 in New Hampshire and Colorado.

Drier than average conditions have persisted in many areas for several seasons; in some parts of the country, for several years. The past 12 months were the driest August through July on record in four southeastern states - Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia - and two Rocky Mountain states - Colorado and Wyoming.

Three other states - Arizona, Nevada and Delaware - had their second driest August through July in the 107 year period of record.

Parts of the Southeast and western United States have been in various stages of drought since 1998. Rainfall alleviated drought in West Texas and some areas of the Gulf Coast in July. Though at the end of the month, moderate drought or worse was present in at least part of 37 states as reported by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Based on the Palmer Drought Index, 37 percent of the contiguous U.S. was affected by severe to extreme drought in July. Areas of extreme drought stretched from the Southwest to Montana and Nebraska and from Georgia to Virginia.

The greatest historic area of drought coverage to date occurred in July 1934 when moderate to extreme drought covered 80 percent of the contiguous United States.

Wildfires continued to burn large areas in the western United States last month. More than four million acres had burned throughout the United States by the end of July, with most large wildland fires occurring in the west according to the National Interagency Fire Center. This is slightly more than twice the 1991-2000 average for the same period.