Severe Drought warning for the US map

[Ichingcarpenter]

It’s not just California’s problem. Nearly half of the contiguous U.S. is experiencing abnormally dry or drought conditions right now. The worst spots shown in the map above, colored in a deep red that represents “exceptional drought,” are in California, Nevada, Texas and Oklahoma. But the entire west and southwest are suffering.


The map is based on a report from May 6 provided by the United States Drought Monitor that includes data on climate, soil and water collected from more than 350 sources. It looks like our pals at NASA’s Earth Observatory worked their magic to make the map more attractive and easier to read with a better ramped color scheme and less obtrusive state boundaries.

As scary as the map is, it doesn’t convey the true severity of the situation because the impacts are cumulative from several years of drought, particularly in the southwest centered on Northern Texas. You can compare the last 10 years of conditions in May in the animation below.

http://www.wired.com/2014/05/drought-maps/

[Oakenshield]

1. Scariest thing is...

According to climatologists this abnormal weather we've been having is the new standard.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Meanwhile

some of us along the I-95 corridor, have seen upwards of 200+% of normal with respect to rain.

[blkmusclmachine]

3. Pray harder.

[doxydad]

4. Unfortunately...

The worst of it is directly affecting the price of food due to no / poor harvests. But, there's no climate problem...just ask Hannity.

[joshcryer]

5. The Ogallala aquifer is fucked.

There is no turning back. Been predicting this for awhile (google my name and "Ogallala Aquifer&quot .

[Omaha Steve]

6. We had over 4 inches of rain with the tornados last week

We are still in the dry to low level category.

K&R!

[Scuba]

7. Hey, it's just where almost all our food is grown, so what's the problem?

[pipoman]

8. For perspective 1934