2012-2015 North American Drought
The North American drought from 2012 to 2015 significantly impacted large areas of the United States, Mexico, and parts of Canada, with California facing some of the most severe drought conditions recorded in its history. This drought was characterized by extreme and exceptional drought levels, particularly in California, where it was compared to historical droughts from over a thousand years ago. The drought followed previous severe conditions in Texas and continued to affect various regions, particularly the midcontinent and southern Plains, even after 2015.
The drought was marked by a decrease in precipitation and high water demand for human activities, leading to serious ecological and agricultural consequences. By mid-2012, approximately 70 percent of the United States experienced abnormally dry conditions, which included extreme and exceptional drought in areas like the Midwest and Southeast. Efforts to manage the impacts of the drought focused on understanding the balance between water supply and demand, as well as implementing effective water management strategies.
The drought drew attention to the long-term implications of climate change, with experts predicting ongoing and future challenges related to water scarcity. As research continues, the focus remains on irrigation and water conservation to combat the effects of persistent drought conditions.
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2012-2015 North American Drought
The North American drought of 2012 to 2015 occurred throughout most of the United States and regions in Mexico. The drought was also experienced in central and eastern parts of Canada. The most severely affected drought area in the United States was California. The US Drought Monitor showed this band of western America as experiencing extreme and exceptional drought conditions, and it was recorded as the most severe drought in the history of California. This drought was determined by NASA scientists to be comparable to droughts experienced more than a thousand years ago during the time of the medieval era. The 2012–15 North American drought followed severe droughts that took place in Texas and surrounding areas during 2011 and continuing into 2012. In California, the drought continued into 2019. When a drought is extremely severe and creates devastating damage, it is referred to as a national disaster.
Background
The North American Drought Monitor (NADM) was established in 2002 as a collaboration among drought experts from the United States, Mexico, and Canada to assess the state of drought in these regions. The aim of the organization is to monitor further climate extremes and to improve ways of implementing such monitoring. NADM ascertains and provides information on drought status in the United States on a weekly basis. The results facilitate preparation and planning to prevent an escalation of devastating problems brought about by drought in the country. Drought impact types are categorized into four levels of intensity: abnormally dry, moderate drought, severe drought, and exceptional drought.
North American Drought Monitor data on the effects of the 2012–15 drought showed that the 2012–12 drought affected 10.9 percent of the area and 13.8 percent of the population of North America. In comparison to the figures at the end of 2014, this was actually a slight decrease both per area (0.2 percent) or population (0.6 percent). Canada's drought conditions were recorded as relatively static with specific precipitation and temperature levels given for cities within the country, with the Prairies listed as dry. The area of the contiguous United States with drought conditions was 28.44 percent according to NADM figures. The southern Plains and western United States—particularly California—were specified as areas of the biggest concern.
High demand for water utilized for human activities in areas where water supply may be diminished exacerbates the severity of drought conditions. A precipitation deficiency or an imbalance in the relationship existing between precipitation and evapotranspiration contribute to drought occurrences.
Drought in the United States is largely caused by adverse conditions in the atmospheric pressure persisting over a period of time. Drought severity is impacted by low flows in water basins such as the Colorado basin and its concomitant effect on the Colorado River, or low flows of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers directly connected to the water supply in California. Moreover, agricultural production tied to water supply is naturally affected when the flow is low.
Overview
The 2012–2015 drought did not entirely dissipate by the end of 2015. Primary areas of continued severe drought included Texas, the midcontinent of America, and California. The Texas drought occurred throughout 2011 with a higher intensity drought level. The drought spread over the midcontinent during 2012 to 2013, with California's exceptional drought taking place from 2012 to 2015. Following this period of time, California experienced a continued level of varying drought conditions until 2019. Following a brief reprieve, drought conditions returned to the state in 2020. Rated as the most severe level by the US federal government, California's megadrought elicited nationwide concern. Reasons for the continued drought were given as the water level being the third driest on record due to lack of precipitation in 2013 and 2014. California relies on a high percentage of precipitation during the winter months, yet from November 2013 to April 2014 the precipitation figures were the sixth driest since the year 1895. Due to the agricultural significance of this area of land and the interconnectedness between the drought conditions and agriculture, the government focused considerable attention on the state of California in order to counteract the effects of the drought. Ways to combat drought effects require an understanding of how the lack of precipitation and a high water demand contribute to the ongoing conditions. Effective water management is critical.
The Texas drought of 2011 that led into 2015 eventually came to an end when high rainfall fell in the region. Storms in May 2015 caused an increase in precipitation in the Texas and Oklahoma regions, terminating the drought. However, the region continued to experience droughts throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s. The midcontinent drought of 2012 to 2013 was classified as extreme, reaching exceptional at its peak. By mid-2012, an area covering 70 percent of the United States was noted for abnormally dry and drought conditions. This was reduced to 65 percent of the United States continuing to the beginning of 2013. The Midwest, Great Plains, Southwest, and Southeast recorded extreme and exceptional drought. Georgia was especially affected during 2012.
Global warming was presented by experts as the reason for a predicted drought onslaught for America’s West. The effect on bodies of water as a result of this excessive warming gave scientists the evidence with which to predict a megadrought by the end of the century.
The impact of the drought on the land and its water supplies was harsh. Given the effect of drought on ecological systems and agriculture, this can be seen in how the Californian landscape was ravaged throughout this period of time. The greenhouse effect has been one of the causes suggested for what was termed a megadrought of the modern era.
Studies are constantly in motion to determine ways in which irrigation and water conservation may help deal with the possibility of drought. Given the severity of the droughts predicted for the future, this remains a challenge for scientist, water managers, and the public.
Bibliography
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