Several hundred feet of sandbar can be seen north of the Mississippi River bridge in Greenville, Miss., Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2012. Coast Guard Capt. William Drelling said Wednesday that authorities would inspect the channel near Greenville, then reset navigation buoys allowing barge traffic to resume on a limited basis as both federal agencies deal with the continued drought that has lowered the Mississippi River. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
A spray of sand laced water shoots out from the Dredge Jadwin, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers vessel that is clearing out some of the silt and left over mud and debris from last year's record flood on the Mississippi River and cutting a deeper channel for barges and their towboats to navigate north of Greenville, Miss., Wednesday. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Hundreds of barges are stuck north and south of Greenville, Miss. due to low water on the Mississippi River, Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012. Low water levels that are restricting shipping traffic, forcing harbor closures and causing barges to run aground on the economically vital Mississippi River are expected to continue into October, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials said Tuesday. (AP Photo/The Commercial Appeal, Alan Spearman)
What do they say about it getting worse before it gets better? Someone said that. Well, they were right.
The latest drought conditions were released this morning and it’s worse. But, with quite a bit of rain forecast to fall across the state this weekend, it could get better very soon.
Well, at least
start getting better. We have a long way to go.
The U.S. Drought Monitor
now classifies 48.1 percent of Oklahoma as D4-Exceptional drought, its highest classification. This is the highest it’s been since October of 2011. It’s the first time that the whole of Tulsa County has been included in the most severe drought classification in at least a decade.
Nationally, conditions also worsened, but
marginally. The percent of the Lower 48 in some kind of drought state is up about 1.5 percent from last week to 63 percent. One year ago, while the percentage of the state in D4 was higher than now, only 31 percent of the contiguous United States was experiencing drought.
With such a large ship becoming heavier and heavier, it will take a lot of time to turn it around. (Speaking of turning ships around, low water on the Mississippi River
halted barge traffic. Those are the photos you see on the right.)
But, there are some things to look forward to.
Typically, rain picks up in the fall, especially compared to the summer months. It’s just part of the typical natural cycle. It rained last weekend, which helped to improve drought conditions across southeast Oklahoma. And it’s
forecast to rain this weekend, with models indicating the heaviest precipitation in northern Oklahoma and totals in excess of 2 inches.
Looking at the broad picture again, parts of the Southwest have already seen some drought relief. Too much, actually. A 17-year-old was
swept away in a flooded drainage ditch near Las Vegas. Not realizing the danger, obviously, a
bunch of clowns floated a normally-dry wash near Las Vegas.
It’s a desert, but it’s even been abnormally dry there this year.
Long term, global shifts in weather patterns could also help to turn things around, too. It’s looking more and more like El Nino conditions
will take hold in the Pacific Ocean this month or next. El Nino typically means wetter and cooler conditions for the southern United States, and Oklahoma is right on the cusp of those areas typically affected.
But, you know what would really help? A tropical storm. One that doesn't cause much damage along the coast but is strong enough to bring heavy rain up here. It won't be
Isaac, but the season is still young.
--Jerry Wofford
