The southern U.S. is in a drought which will likely last until spring and could last years, warn National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials. La Niña conditions have bottled up storms in the north, leaving the south parched.
“The speed with which the drought developed across the southern United States is rather unusual considering that just last year El Niño dominated the region with abundant precipitation,” said Bill Proenza, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service southern region.“ Then it was as if a switch was flipped during the summer, changing to La Niña conditions.”
American Southwest Could Face 60-Year Drought
Texas and Florida are hardest hit, which means trouble for farmers and thirsty cities. Wildfires are also a problem. Florida lost 400,000 acres to wildfire last year, and NOAA officials warn 2011 may see more of the Sunshine State being scorched.
The big worry is how long the drought will last.
“Of the five stronger La Niñas that occurred, four resulted in multi-year events,” said Victor Murphy, climate program manager for NOAA’s National Weather Service southern region. “If this La Niña persists until next winter, the threat of drought conditions in the south extending into next year will be heightened.”
Many southern states have water scarcity issues already, and a multi-year drought could be disastrous.
IMAGE 1: A dry lake bed in Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Texas, 2009 (Wikimedia Commons)
IMAGE 2: Current drought conditions, as of January 18, 2011 (NOAA)
IMAGE 3: Spring drought forecast (NOAA)
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