Droughts General Information Drought is a condition of climatic dryness that is severe enough to reduce soil moisture and water below the minimum necessary for sustaining plant, animal, and human life systems. The Palmer Index incorporates temperature, precipitation, evaporation and transpiration, runoff and soil moisture when designating the degree of drought. There is some disagreement over the primary meteorological causes of drought. Theories include sunspots, volcanic dust, land alterations, ocean currents, and atmospheric pollutants. Drought affects water levels for use by industry, agriculture and individual consumers.
Water shortages affect fire fighting capabilities through reduced flows and pressures.
Drought also affects power production. When water levels drop, electric companies cannot produce enough power to meet demand and are forced to buy electricity from other sources. Vulnerability Nearly all areas of Washington are vulnerable to drought. In every drought, agriculture has felt the impact, especially in non-irrigated areas such as dryland farms and range lands. Other heavy water users, such as landscapers, are also negatively impacted.