Building Green Homes
Case Study: California's Drought
As of August 2014 100% of California has officially been declared in drought. California is amidst a three year battle with drought. This drought has lead to severe wildfires, billions in agricultural loss, dry wells, and even water restrictions. Residents are restricted to water landscapes and lawns, and hose down driveways and sidewalks. The governor has declared California in a statewide drought emergency as California’s water reservoir storage levels are about 60% below historical averages for the state. [1]
This is a satellite image comparing California in January of 2013 to January of 2014. The drought is significant as the image on the right show much less snow and vegetation.[1]
[1] Before It’s News Inc., “Six Scary Facts About California’s Drought”, 24 Jan. 2014
This map displays the areas of drought and their intensity level for all of the U.S. As shown, much of the U.S. is experiencing some level of drought.[1]
[1] NOAA, “State of the Climate: Drought for January 2014”, 13 Mar. 2014
This map displays the percent of average precipitation for each state in the continetial U.S. As shown, most of the U.S. is experiencing precipitation levels below normal. [1]
[1] NOAA, “State of the Climate: Drought for January 2014”, 13 Mar. 2014