America suffers persistent drought. by Sarah Wilmshurst
As California battles wind-whipped wildfires, vast areas of the US are struggling with an epic drought, which has millions of people fearing their taps could run dry.
Many parts of California have experienced record low rainfall this year as temperatures shot to all-time highs, leaving vast swathes of parched countryside at the mercy of fires propelled by powerful winds. Los Angeles recorded just 8.15 cm (a little 3 inches) in the year to June 30th 2007, making it the driest year on record since 1877. Meteorologists fear a dry winter will prolong the drought in many of the affected regions.
The drought is expected to persist from northeast Alabama to the Mid-Atlantic States, and in the western US, from southern California into Arizona.
The worst-hit state is Georgia, which is largely under ‘extreme’ drought. Georgia’s Governor has banned the washing of state vehicles, ordered inmates to take one quick shower a day, and some departments are using paper plates in an effort to reduce water use.
Forecasters say a major storm could still barrel in from the Atlantic and bring badly needed rains to the south-east, but point out that there is only one month of the hurricane season left.
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