Droughts can be classified as a creeping disaster because many of their effects are not immediately felt, nor all at once. Droughts attack somewhat like a a python, slowly bringing death.
Flooding, cyclones, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and tsunamis have left a trail of destruction in past years. But the current drought conditions could be the start to a remarkable era of bad weather.
Midwest droughts are affecting 1000 counties in more than 26 states. They are baking the soil in blast-furnace conditions. Battling the larger wildfires in US history, where fires have burned thousands of acres. Federal officials have declared a drought emergency in 33 counties inside one state alone.
Scientists fear these drought conditions could become a permanent condition in some regions, while the growing population increases the burden on our global water supply. International demand for water is expected to increase by two-thirds before 2025, and there are fears of a looming drinking water crisis. To forestall a drought emergency, we must redefine how we think of water, value it, and use it.