Drought expands east to the Mississippi river, where it’s really messing things up
Footprints, human and animal, dot stretches of the Mississippi River that have been underwater for as long as people remember, and eight barges have run aground this year. Rain has been scarce, with little prospect for more. Drought’s deadly fingers have moved east, from the dried-up wells of California’s Central Valley and into the American Midwest, where much of America’s food is grown, and even farther, into the Southeast. Its tentacles have parched parts of America’s most important river and now threaten a majority of the country — 52.7% by the U.S. Drought Monitor’s count, and 146 million people, 12 million more than a mere week ago. It’s the deepest national drought since 2012, and if nothing changes it’ll outpace that benchmark soon.
Related articles:
- The Guardian: Sixth set of human remains found in vanishing Lake Mead
- ABC News: Historic Lake Mead drought leads to disturbing discoveries on dried up ground
- San Diego Union-Tribune: Drought snarls Mississippi River transit in blow to farmer
- NBC 7 San Diego: NOAA - Winter 2022 is looking dry and warm across the south