[EBH]

Did you bother to click through and read the article...? The last time the U.S. saw a drought close to this level of severity was in the 1980s, Rippey explained. But even compared to that drought, the current conditions may be worse. “You really need to go back to the 1950s to find a drought that lasted and occupied at least as much territory,” Rippey said.

[Bubba_Leroy]

Did you bother to click through and read the article...?

Yes, I read the article. Did you bother to read my post?

The article began with the line, "The United States is in the midst of one of the biggest droughts in recent memory."

You then posted, Drought as bad or worse then [sic] the 1950's....

I responded by pointing out, I don’t think they are counting the droughts in the 1950s or 1930s [which they did not mention in the article] as “recent memory.” What about my response are you disputing?

Basically, the article buried the lede. The fact is that most of the U.S. has experienced a comparable drought every 20 to 30 years throughout recorded history. Before the droughts of the 1950s and 1930s, there were major droughts in the 1890s, the 1870s and the 1850s.

[muawiyah]

You really do need to go the whole 80 years back to 1930 ~ these great drought cycles can be shorter, or less extensive ~ but when they parallel similar droughts in China at the same time that's ol' Mr. Sending a dry air signal!

Just looking at DROUGHT MONITOR and it shows that this year is the same old same old except the Eastern Corn Belt is back in business, and the Northeast will continue to provide both apples and potatoes.

[Mercat]

Been in the Midwest since 1948. The 50s were grim. But my ancestors left Texas and moved to Oklahoma (Indian Territory) in the 1880s because of the draught in northern Texas.