Most of the US has been experiencing remarkably dry weather this year, and according to published reports by environmentalists, more than 61% of the surrounding areas of the country are in one form or another of the drought classification, CNN reported.
The worst drought in the US was only in 2012, when the continental US recorded a record 65% in September.
The drought has intensified significantly in recent weeks. In the last month alone, the percentage of drought in the continental US has jumped from 55% to more than 61%. This has also been affecting hydro power production in the US, environmentalists said.
“The drought is long overdue. I expect the American west to be in a drought for the rest of this year, and that’s at best,” said Justin Mankin, assistant professor of geography at Dartmouth College.
The situation could be saved by several months of heavy rains, but in the western US, since the beginning of the new year, precipitation has not exceeded the norm.
In California, 160% of normal in December, snow cover has dropped to about 90% due to a lack of new accumulation and a mid-winter thaw.
A recent study by the California Department of Water Resources found that reservoirs across the state are unlikely to fill up again this year.
The same forecast is being made for the Colorado River Basin. Lower water levels in reservoirs could threaten water supplies and shut down hydro power at the Glen Canyon Dam.
The drought situation is also worsening in the south of the country.
“As spring approaches, drought intensification is widespread, with the rapid expansion of extreme and exceptional drought zones,” environmentalists warned.
They attribute this environmental problem to the consequences of global warming, and in the current conditions, drought can negatively affect the US economy and rural industry.