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A Long Dry Spell Spreads

For about 18 months, a drought has shriveled crops, dried up lakes and browned lawns in the southeastern United States. On October 16, a government agency said that last month, drought conditions had spread to more of the country. A drought occurs when an area gets less rain than usual and water supplies fall short.

Rising temperatures made last month the eighth warmest September on record. The heat helped to expand the drought to the Ohio Valley and the mid-Atlantic states. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, nearly half of the United States, not including Alaska and Hawaii, is in the grip of moderate to exceptional drought (see map).

Hardest hit is the Southeast, where drought is choking 78% of the region. Several cities are close to running out of water. Without rain, Lake Lanier, the main water source for Atlanta, Georgia, could dry up in just 120 days. The city's mayor, Shirley Franklin, is urging residents to conserve water. "Please, please, please do not use water unnecessarily," she pleaded.

Many people had hoped that this year's hurricane season would bring enough rain to replenish reservoirs. But the season has been unusually dry, and there is little relief in sight. For now, drought-stricken Americans are left high and dry, and hoping that rain falls soon.

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