Droughts: A Natural Disaster Unlike Any Other
Natural disasters, which are events that have major consequences, come in many different forms such as: avalanches, tornadoes, typhoons, floods, forest fires, etc. One of the most deadliest of them are droughts. Droughts are short or long term periods of excessive heat and dryness that cause ripholes in an economy and its citizens. There are three key factors to the formation of a drought. The first one is climate change.
Climate change is the yearly weather pattern occurring in any location, and can help scientists predict whether or not a major meteorological event is going to occur. The second one is land and sea surface temperatures. When altered, land and sea surface temperatures can speed up the process of evaporation, which dries up most of the bodies of water and extreme droughts occur. Lastly, soil moisture content is the third key factor to the formation of a drought. Without moisture in the soil, plants slowly wither as the heat of sun has no co-partner to help the plant grow, crops lose value,and the economy goes down in ruins.
If any of these three key factors are slightly changed, it fractures the cycle and causes droughts. “No one is yet able to scientifically predict multi-year or decadal droughts, but the paleoclimatic record can tell us how frequently droughts such as the 1930s Dust Bowl occurred in the past or if droughts of this magnitude are indeed a rare event” (Woodhouse 3). Since there is no accurate predictions or trend with droughts, meteorologists advise people to take safety precautions whenever they are faced with a drought. Firstly, make sure that you are fully stocked with food, since the weather will be too extreme for you to go out and restock. Secondly, make sure you have a room (either a cellar or basement) that is available for you or your family to hide in.
Lastly, at all costs, don’t go outside unless you are able to handle the heat. Using these three safety tactics, and being aware of the weather around you, will keep yourself and your family safe. There is no exact location as to where droughts occur, but they usually occur in regions that are very dry and desert like. Sometimes, places with no snow or rain for an entire year, are most likely going to receive droughts. Even though droughts are most likely to occur in dry and arid weather, changing the three key factors will offset the balance, and also cause droughts. One drought, named The Drought of 1987-1989, was the most expensive natural disaster ever to have struck the United States of America, damaging major crops, and putting the economy in a down fall.
All in all, droughts are natural disasters that are a force to reckon, and knowing more information on what to do and how to keep safe, will make it less of a threat than seemed to most people. It is still a major disaster, but with the help of others, we can help with the aftermath of this terrible mess.
