This Issue:

Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

The United States Needs April Showers

It was a long, dry winter, and now we are paying a price. Snow and rainfall dropped well below average in 30 states. For New Jersey, Maryland and South Dakota, it was the driest winter on record. The result: More than one-fifth of the continental U.S. is suffering from a drought. Low reservoirs, early wildfires and threatened crops are the first signs of troubles. Climate experts say that even heavy spring rains may not undo all the damage. "In the U.S., drought is more costly than any other natural disaster," says Michael Hayes of the National Drought Mitigation Center. "Water is an extremely valuable resource."

Source: USDA, National Drought Mitigation Center, Climate Prediction Center, National Climatic Data Center

Next: Top 5 Most Common Trees in the US