A drought is a period of abnormally dry weather that persists long enough to produce a serious hydrologic imbalance, causing, for example, crop damage and shortages in the water supply. The severity of a drought depends on the degree of moisture deficiency, the duration, and the size of the affected area. Drought can be defined four ways:
Meteorological Drought―when an area gets less precipitation than normal. Due to climatic differences, what is considered a drought in one location may not be a drought in another location.
  • Agricultural Drought―when the amount of moisture in the soil no longer meets the needs of a particular crop.
  • Hydrological Drought―when the surface and subsurface water supplies are below normal.
  • Socioeconomic drought ―when water supply is unable to meet human and environmental needs can upset the balance between supply and demand.