Step aside, California; you’re not the only one dealing with drought in this country.
The
entire state of Alabama is under some sort of drought condition, ranging from abnormally dry to exceptional drought. The last time the whole of Alabama faced drought conditions was back in 2011.
But it’s not just Alabama.
New Jersey is also drying up, and dry weather looks to be on the docket for a while yet. While not as bad as Alabama or California (can anywhere be as bad as California?), severe drought is creeping in along the Northeast. Lack of rain and snow in 2016 is a large factor in these drought conditions.
While Georgia isn’t completely parched,
it is quite dry in many areas. In fact, at the beginning of the 2016 calendar year, there wasn’t even a trace of moderate drought. Now there’s plenty of moderate, severe, extreme, and even exceptional drought conditions.
But wait! There’s more! Mississippi is
also suffering. A handful of counties are afflicted with extreme drought, while the majority is facing moderate to severe drought. About a third of the state is “just” abnormally dry. Only two counties are unaffected by drought conditions. In all, Georgia’s farmers are really starting to feel it.
Of course, California isn’t doing so great, either.
As a nation, there are a lot of parched states. IN fact, there are only a select few that don’t have any drought conditions at all. That being said, there are still plenty of areas that are receiving plenty of water, despite their state having some form of dryness. So all is not lost!
However, the U.S. Drought Monitor shows that certain areas are more affected than others. Take a look at the map here and see if you live in one of those areas. If you do, now is the perfect time to start preparing your water storage. Invest in a
water barrel (or two) and fill them before you’re on a water restriction. This is one way to ensure you have enough water before any restrictions are put into place. And this water is not just for drinking, but washing and cleaning as well.
Drought can happen in any state, and if you are fortunate to not be affected by it at this time, take precautions now so that when the drought does come to your neighborhood, you’ll be ready.
