US drought reaches record spring coverage, intensifies wildfires and water shortages
Updated
Updated · CNN · Apr 23
US drought reaches record spring coverage, intensifies wildfires and water shortages
14 articles · Updated · CNN · Apr 23
Drought now covers 62.78% of the continental US, with 94% of the Southeast in severe or worse drought and Georgia enacting its first-ever mandatory burn ban for 91 counties.
At least 20 large wildfires are burning in the Southeast, including the destructive Highway 82 Fire in Georgia, while nearly 1,800 wildfires have scorched Florida this year. Water shortages threaten the West as snowpack hits record lows.
Wildfires have burned 1.7 million acres nationwide, nearly double the 10-year average. The Colorado River’s low inflow threatens hydropower at Hoover Dam, and above-normal fire activity is forecast to expand further into summer.
With wildfires burning at double the average rate, how are states preparing for a more intense summer fire season?
With Hoover Dam's power dropping 40%, how will this affect electricity costs for millions of Americans this fall?
Could the coming El Niño worsen the drought before bringing relief to the parched southern states?
Beyond farming, which industries face the greatest economic risk from escalating U.S. water shortages?
Are new water technologies being deployed fast enough to counter the West's historic snowpack deficit?
How will the current crisis address the long-ignored senior water rights of 30 tribal nations?