Flash flooding hits drought-hit areas as much-needed rain arrives
Much-needed rainfall is finally washing over the South and East this week, but the heavy downpour is also causing flash flooding in areas that have been hit hard by drought in recent months.
Most of Missouri is drought-free, but 30% of the state is drier than normal, especially across the Missouri Bootheel, which is currently experiencing extreme to exceptional drought conditions. Rain deficits have fallen steeper than 12 inches in the last 6 months, to almost 20 inches below average in Ripley and Butler counties.
This is the picture for nearly a fifth of the country experiencing extreme drought conditions or worse, stretching from the mountain west to the east coast. Several states are seeing their worst drought since the infamous droughts of 2011 and 2012.
Florida is typically one of the rainiest states, with over 50 inches of annual rainfall, but the panhandle is currently 20 to 30 inches behind on rainfall. Nearly 75% of the Sunshine State is in extreme drought, and over 20% of Florida is under exceptional drought, the worst category.
Recent heavy rain is bringing some improvement, delivering over 6 to 12 inches of rainfall to large swaths of the South and East. This is bringing some relief from the drought, but too much rain at once can also introduce new risks.
A long drought can make it harder for the ground to soak up water, as dry soil compacts and allows more runoff instead of absorption. And when microbes and fungi in the ground die, they leave behind waxy residues that make the soil even more resistant to water.
The best solution to drought is a steady wet pattern of near to above-average rainfall. And more rain is on the way.
The Weather Prediction Center is calling for widespread 2 to 4 inches of rain this week across the Southern Plains, especially in Kansas, southern Missouri, Arkansas, and northern Mississippi and Alabama. Even higher amounts between 3 and 6 inches are expected in portions of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
Most of that rain won't be reflected in the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor until the beginning of summer. The Drought Monitor includes rainfall starting on Tuesday of each week until the following Tuesday, then the information is released publicly on Thursdays.
That schedule means the next Drought Monitor coming on Thursday, May 28th, will not include any rain since Tuesday. The following Drought Monitor in the first week of June will better represent the improvement rain is bringing now.
