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Eugene -Springfield Area Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan <br />2. Hazard Descriptions <br />2.2 Drought <br />Drought is a prolonged period of dry weather which persists long enough to cause <br />adverse deficiencies in the water supply. Droughts are a slow -onset hazard, meaning <br />over time they can have severe impacts on agriculture, municipal water supplies, <br />recreational resources, and wildlife. A prolonged drought poses a significant threat <br />to the economy. <br />2.2.1 Causes and Characteristics of the Hazard <br />Droughts are caused by the lack of precipitation in large geographic areas typically <br />across counties, states, or regions. Generally, precipitation occurs in the Pacific <br />Northwest as rain in the coastal regions and snow in the higher elevation <br />mountainous areas. Rain and snowfall help to sustain the State's aquifers and <br />provide river flow. Aquifers and rivers play a critical role by providing irrigation and <br />potable water throughout the region. Snowpack and aquifers act as forms of natural <br />water storage, balancing out the ups and downs of annual precipitation levels. <br />Short term effects of drought include declining stream, river, reservoir, lake, and <br />ground water levels. The decline reduces agricultural yields, increases the potential <br />for wildfires, and makes it difficult to maintain satisfactory quantities of municipal <br />and private water levels. Long term effects of a depleted water supply can affect the <br />economic viability of a community. According to NOAA, drought ranks second for <br />the most economically destructive weather- related incident with losses around $9 <br />billion per year.11 <br />The three types of drought are meteorological, hydrological, and agricultural. <br />1. Meteorological drought is the most well-known and is due to low or no <br />precipitation compared to the regional average. It is highly specific to a <br />region. <br />2. Hydrological drought is when decreased precipitation affects soil moisture, <br />groundwater, and snowpack as well as streamflow, lake, and reservoir levels. <br />3. Agricultural drought occurs when the available water supply cannot meet <br />crop demand. It can occur in the absence of a Meteorological Drought due to <br />timing of water availability or decreased access. (Figure 2-1) <br />"United States. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. DROUGHT: Monitoring <br />Economic, Environmental, and Social Impacts. Accessed October 2017. <br />https://www.nede.noaa.gov/news/drought-monitoring-economic-environmental-and-social-impacts <br />2-2 January 2020 <br />