Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-07
9-MONTH DROUGHT
RECORD IS SET BY
PARCHED AUGUST.
Recapitulation Shows De-
cember to August Period
Dryest in History.
So PER CENT DEFICIENCY
IN JULY is ANNOUNCED
Washington Barely Misses Another
All-Time Mark for Shortage
During Spring Months.

If the hurricane fulfills the hopes OF
the Weather Bureau and brings rain
this week to the parched and withered
East, it will break drought marked by
more superlatives and trailed by more
smashed weather records than any other
dry spell in history.
A recapitulation of records since the
first year, made for The Star yesterday
by j. B. Kincer, Weather Bureau me-
teorologist, discloses the following facts
regarding the washington forecast area
alone:
washington, with the other two
States in this area, Maryland and Della
ware, has just gone through the dryest
nine months December through Au-
gust) in bureau annals.
The local area has experienced the
dryest Summer of record, the Summer
months being June, July and August.
Rainfall was is per cent below normal
in June, SO per cent below in July and
the August shortage Is not yet tabu-
lated.
The area was visited by the dryest
growing season Of record March to
August.
July anu huEuSt DEyCDss
The months of July and August, as
Q group, were the dryest ever recorded
in this district. The figures for Au-
gust are not complete, but Mr.. Kincer
Is certain the deficiency was sufiicient
to break the two-month record.
The So per cent deficiency In July
set an all-tine record for one month in
this locality.
A difference Of but two-tenths Of a
percentage point separated Washington
from another all-ttme record-that Of
having the dryest Spring, covering the
months Of March, April and May.
From national viewpoint the drought
has been the worst in the country's his
tory, taking into consideration every
factor involved, including duration, area
embraced and deficiency IN precipita-
ton.
Six other severe droughts have been.
taken as basis for comparison. In
1881 the Southwest suffered dry June
and the central valleys and the East
experienced a very dry July and Au-
gust In 1894 drought conditions were
confined to the central valley section
and the Northwest In 1901 the CEN
trail section, particularly the corn belt,
suffered most In 1914 there were de-
hciencies early In the season and in
1915 and 1924 there were local droughts
In small areas.
Record Rains In wyoming.
While the remainder of the Nation
ianguished, the Rocky Mountain section
has been affected this year by record
rainfalls, the records show. Wyoming
hung up q record last month when 1t
reported total rainfall so per cent in
excess Of any previous monthly record
ing. An all-tiTne record for rainfall
also was established during July and
August in Colorado.
Although the actual deficiencies really
began last December, the bureau has
tabulated figures for the March-August
period as representing the chief drought
months in this section. In the local
area March brought rainfall only So
per cent of the normal precipitation,
Aprils rain was "a per cent normal,
May was so per cent. June IS per cent,
July 80 per cent and August well below
normal, judged from partial returns.
The progress of the drought by
months Is portrayed strikingly on a
series of charts prepared by Mr.. Kincer.
The charts show that:
In March IL States in the Midwest,
comprising the drought group, aver
aged 80 per cent Of their normal pre-
cipitation; North Dakota had a rainfall
of IL per cent tan all-time record for
one month in any State). and only ii
States out of the AZ reported normal or
ebove-normal precipitation.
81 Per Cent in Valley Area.
In April the serious drought area
embraced eight States In the MisSis-
sippi Valley section, where the average
precipitation was 81 per cent OF nor
NAL. Arkansas was 90 per cent OF
normal State record. The normal
states were Mo ~lna, South Dakota,
Nebraska, Kansas, Idaho and Florida.
All others had water shortages. In May
the most severely affected States were
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia,
Kentucky, Maryland. Delaware, Viz
ginia and the District Of Columbia,
where the rainfall averaged 55 per cent
of normal. The normal States were
the New England group, New York,
Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, Arkan-
sas, Louisial~S, Texas, Oklahoma, Kan"
sas, Nebraska, Minnesota, wyoming.
In June the drought states were
Ohio, West Virginia. Kentucky, Ten
nessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana
Texas, Arkansas and Kansas, Where
the rains were ~ per cent OF normal.
Record below-normal figures were re-
corded as follows: West Virginia, %
per cent; Kentucky, As per cent; Ten
nessee, 80 per cent; Mississippi. is per
cent; Arkansas, II per cent, and LOU
isiana, IL per cent. The only normal
states were the New England group, New
York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Flor
ida, Nebraska, Wisconsin, New Mexico
and Arizona.
Spreads 10 II States.
BY July the drought area had spread
to 81 States, where 80 per cent OF nor
NAL rainfall was the average. These
States were Pennsylvania, Maryland,
Delaware, District of Columbia, Vir-
ginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky
illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, Me-
braska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Mississippi
Texas, North and South Dakota, Ar,
kansas and Tennessee. Below-normal
records were established in the follow
ing States: Maryland, Delaware and
the District of Columbia, 36 per cent;
Virginia, SO per cent; West Virginia, Al
per cent; Kentucky, 80 per cent, Ohio
SO per cent; Illinois, 80 per cent; Mis-
souri,. "a per cent; Arkansas, 20 pei
/ cent. The only normal States were the
New England group. Georgia, Arizona
New Mexico, Colorado ana Utah.
Preliminary and incomplete returns
for August show the drought area as
covering these 20 States: New YORK
Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Dis
trict of Columbia, Virginia, west VII
ginia, North and South Carolina, Geor'
gia. Kentucky, Indiana, OHIO, ILLINOIS
Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota
Wisconsin and Michigan. In thes'
States rainfall averaged Al per cent o