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November 2008                                                                                                   Volume 15 - Number 2

Perspectives...

Summary of Drought Activity by Decade Since 1900

By: Kevin Chamberlain

There is not an extensive amount of drought data available from the early 20^th Century, as meteorological data from such a complex weather was difficult to measure. Simply defining a drought and ascertaining a start and end point for a drought event has only been standardized more recently. Nevertheless, available statistics over the last 100 years generally show an increase in drought frequency in recent decades, though drought is considered to by cyclical. The impacts, both measured in dollar damages and lives lost, seems to have been reduced in recent years as the necessary emergency management functions required for drought response seem to be better understood. The following list details drought events that have occurred in the United States since 1980 and resulted in greater than $1 billion worth of damage. Damage estimates and fatalities are summed across decades. Fatality estimates are difficult to estimate and possibly skewed, because droughts generally affect large geographical areas and do not directly result in death. Deaths in recent decades attributed to droughts are actually the result of heat-waves that coincide with periods of drought. Significant drought events occurring before 1980 are also listed, but data for those prior decades is not as plentiful.

Present – 2000 ($26 billion in losses, 380 deaths)

In 2007, a drought in the Great Plains and eastern United States caused an estimated $5 billion in damage, with some deaths due to heat.

In the spring and summer of 2006, sever drought affected crops in the Great Plains, as well as several states in the southern and western United States. Damages and costs were estimated at $6 billion with some heat related deaths.

In the spring and summer of 2005, localized droughts caused significant losses to corn and soybean crop from Arkansas to Wisconsin. Losses were estimated at $1 billion, with no reported deaths.

Widespread drought in the fall of 2002 impacted 30 states, including western states, the Great Plains, and much of the eastern United States. Damage and costs were estimated at $10 billion, with no reported deaths.

In the spring and summer of 2000, severe drought and heat over south-central and southeastern states caused an estimated $4 billion in damage. Approximately 140 deaths were attributed to the heat.

2000 – 1990 ($15 billion, 718 deaths)

A drought and extreme heat wave in the summer of 1999 caused approximately $1 billion in damages and resulted in 502 deaths.

In the summer of 1998, severe drought in Texas and Oklahoma caused an estimated $6-$9 billion in damages and resulted in 200 deaths.

From the fall of 1995 to the summer of 1996, severe drought impacted Texas and Oklahoma, causing approximately $5 billion in damages. No deaths were reported.

In the summer of 1993, a drought and heat wave in the southern United States caused $1 billion in damages and resulted in 16 deaths.

1990-1980 ($62 billion, 18,100 deaths)

A drought in the summer of 1989 caused $1 billion in damages over much of the northern plains. No deaths were reported.

An extreme drought lasting from 1897 to 1989 impacted the central and eastern United States. The drought caused an estimated $40 billion in losses and the associated heat wave caused an estimated 5,000-10,000 deaths.

In the summer of 1986, a severe drought in the southeastern United States resulted in an estimated $1 billion in damage and 100 deaths.

From June through September of 1980, a drought and heat wave in the central United States caused $20 billion worth of damages and resulted in an estimated 10,000 deaths.

1950-1940

During the early 1950’s, a severe drought beginning in 1950 and ending in 1957 in the central United States resulted in many counties being declared federal drought disaster areas, including 244 of the 254 counties in Texas.

1940-1930

The “Dust Bowl” across the central United States resulted in $1 billion worth of government aid. Accurately estimating actual damages is difficult. The drought came in three waves, beginning in 1934, then in 1936, then from 1939-1940. Fatality estimates are in the thousands.

Sources

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/reports/billionz.html#chron

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/paleo/drought/drght_history.html

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/climate/Drought.pdf