Droughts

Droughts are long periods with below average or no precipitation at all. When droughts happen, it means that a particular area has not seen rainfall for an extended period. This can be dangerous for an ecosystem because agriculture in the area, like crops, cannot maintain their growth and therefore affect the economy, and sometimes even the living species of the area.

The longest drought ever known to US history was known as “The Dust Bowl.” During this time, at least 50,000,000 acres of land were affected. Poor soil management practices made matters worse. The Great Plains turned into dust and blew away in dust storms called, “black blizzards.”

Dry conditions are expected to become more common across central North America and the U.S. Southwest as the globe warms.