Some of the Worst Droughts in History
By Erica Campbell on July 17, 2012, 8:21pm
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As the United States is gripped by more oppressive heat and major drought conditions, I thought I would do a little research on droughts of the past.
First, a drought is defined as “a period of dryness especially when prolonged; specifically : one that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents their successful growth” (Merriam Webster Dictionary on-line). The results of my research found so many destructive droughts throughout history that I could not possibly write about them all. So I chose a few in which to mention. Below are some of the worst droughts worldwide over the past few hundred years.
1) India: 1769 – 1773. This drought affected over 10 million people, which at the time, was approximately 1/3 of the entire population. Extreme food shortages, widespread disease and crippling starvation were only a few of the results from this drought.
2) China: 1876 – 1879 (Also known as the Great Famine). This drought caused rivers to run dry and killed approximately 9 million people. The drought also spread to other places during the time period, including Iran and Russia. In China, over 9 provinces were almost completely destroyed from lack of food and water. It is thought that when including all the countries affected by this drought, the numbers of those who perished climbs even higher.
3) Africa: 1981 – 1984. During the crisis, an astounding 20 nations of Africa were under severe drought. Entire rivers and lakes completely dried up. Up to 20,000 people starved to death each month. Although the total number of people who perished is not completely known, it is estimated that over 1 million people died as a direct result of the drought.
4) United States: 1930 – 1936. This period of time is also known as the Dust Bowl. Across the Great Plains, years of over use, lack of crop rotation, and improper removal of trees, along with the lack of rain, led to enormous crop loss. Throughout the United States, approximately 80% of the US experienced drought conditions and approximately 65% of the US was considered in extreme drought conditions.
5) Southwestern United States: 1950 – 1957. The extreme heat during this time only exasperated the problem and made complete crop failure a given. By the time this drought ended, 244 out of 254 counties in Texas were considered federal disaster areas.
Could our current drought problem be ranked within the top droughts of all time? Actually, the answer is no, for now. Currently, the levels of our drought, affecting the majority of the US, are not nearly up to the levels of drought seen during the 1930’s. Nor has the drought persisted for the length of time during the 1930’s. However, this doesn’t mean it can't happen. Scientists are still researching the current conditions and comparing that research to previous drought conditions. The jury is also still out on whether or not climate change and global warming is responsible for the drought the country is currently experiencing. What is known is that the warmer our planet becomes, the more likely the chance of extreme weather. This extreme weather does indeed include droughts. We can only wait to see what happens.
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