"Starting to Become Apocalyptic" is quite iffy as a headline. Is it or is it not apocalyptic? Is it becoming apocalyptic? After it starts becoming apocalyptic, will it continue to become apocalyptic, or will it start to stop becoming apocalyptic and then never actually reach truly apocalyptic? So many questions. There are 20 evidences, and yet in sum total they are not enough for the author to declare that the drought is apocalyptic. The article is a big hedge against the author sticking his or her neck out.
Not saying we shouldn't conserve or anything like that, but we also don't need to get all panicky about it. I'm living in the middle of it, and I do not plan to cancel my flood insurance.