It’s Been 23 13 Years Since Oregon’s Seen A Drought Like This

Want to see something you should be concerned about? Here’s Oregon’s drought situation in May.

Here’s Oregon’s drought situation today:

Gov. Kate Brown today announced she’s declared drought emergencies in four additional counties, bringing Oregon up to 19 counties imperiled by drought, low snow pack, and low water. That’s more than half the counties in the state and, as you can see, way more than half the state’s land area.

It also appears to be the driest Oregon’s been in 23 years. According to the state’s Water Resources Department, the last time 19 or more counties were put under drought emergency was 1992, when 35 of 36 counties had that designation.

CLARIFICATION, 3:30 pm: Water Resources Department spokeswoman Raquel Rancier has returned our call, and says the agency’s list is misleading. What it doesn’t show is that 2002 actually saw 23 counties under drought emergency, because emergencies declared in 2001 weren’t allowed to expire. So assuming that was due to drought concerns and not a clerical error (Rancier couldn’t say for sure, but assumes that’s the case), this is the second worst drought scenario in 23 years (though summer’s just getting started).

Original post:

“Oregon is only just beginning to face what will likely be an unprecedented wildfire season and drought,” Brown said in a prepared statement. “Oregon must now rise to the challenge that a changing climate brings.”

The declarations are requested by individual counties, and carry with them directives to state agencies to assist water users. Here’s Brown’s latest declaration, signed yesterday.

The maps above don’t capture just how parched the state is. According to the US Drought Monitor, practically the whole state’s experiencing moderate drought or worse (a third of the state is seeing “extreme drought”). The tiny patch that’s not (that’d be us) is still abnormally dry. Check it:

• US Drought Monitor

Enjoy your sun-soaked weekend!