Severe droughts developing throughout the US are causing several states to impose water restrictions, as some American towns fear they will run out of water within weeks.
The US Drought Monitor, the nation’s weekly map showing where and how severe drought conditions are, has warned that the situation has already reached ‘extreme’ or ‘exceptional’ levels in the Southeast, South, Plains and in parts of the West.
Currently, the worst drought-stricken areas were reported in northern Florida, southern Georgia and Colorado, where conditions have reached the worst level of drought measured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
An ‘exceptional’ drought means there is currently widespread crop and pasture losses and shortages of water in reservoirs, streams and wells, creating water emergencies in these areas. More than eight percent of the US has reached this level.
Another 18 percent of the US has been suffering from ‘extreme’ drought conditions, including in large sections of the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Colorado, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming – leading to widespread water restrictions.
Parts of Arizona, including the small town of Kearny, have already warned residents that there may be no water flowing through local taps by July.
While the situation has already become dire, meteorologists said things are expected to get worse heading into the heart of summer.
Experts from AccuWeather have predicted that 12 states will experience severe droughts between June and August, further straining water supplies and causing wildfires to erupt throughout the West.
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