NOAA/Public Domain
Quickly, in amongst all the other stats in the latest NOAA State of the Climate report is this:
According to the US Drought Monitor, as of July 3, 56.0 percent of the contiguous U.S. experienced drought conditions, marking the largest percentage of the nation experiencing drought conditions in the 12-year record of the U.S. Drought Monitor. Drought conditions improved across Florida, due to the rains from Tropical Storm Debby. Drought conditions worsened across much of the West, Central Plains, and the Ohio Valley, causing significant impacts on agriculture in those regions.
That’s one third of US counties, more than 1000 of them.
Going beyond the time period of the US Drought Monitor service, BBC News reminds us that the drought is the worst since 1956, with June 2012 being the 10th driest since records began.
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