Sentence:  Phoenix and Lubbock are both caught in <WSD>severe</WSD> drought, and it is going to get much worse. We may see many such [dust] storms in the decades ahead, along with species extinctions, radical disturbance of ecosystems, and intensified social conflict over land and water. Welcome to the Anthropocene, the epoch when humans have become a major geological and climatic force. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Very bad or intense.