Wednesday June 29, 2022
Newsweek —
Droughts are periods characterized by abnormally dry conditions. But what are megadroughts, and how bad is the one currently affecting parts of the United States?
While there are no clear definitions of what a megadrought is, in general these events are defined as droughts that last for multiple decades, i.e. two or more, according to Ashok Mishra, a professor in the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering at Clemson University.
“Although there may be a few wet spells, most periods remained dry,” he told Newsweek.
Vast swathes of the western United States are currently being impacted by a megadrought, including states such as California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Nevada as well as Texas, Oklahoma, Utah, Montana, and New Mexico.
“The megadrought that started in 2000 is almost in its twenty-third year,” Mishra said.