New drought-modeling technology could help Ohio's farmers better prepare for dry weather conditions.
Steven Quiring, a geography professor at Ohio State University and a study co-author, said while the standard U.S. Drought Monitor is important, it does not always accurately reflect local conditions. Droughts can also differ by region. Ohio is prone to "flash droughts" or rain shortages caused by warm weather that can happen quickly over a few days or weeks, and added it is critical to collect drought impact data to improve future local drought monitoring that communities can use to make the best decisions.
"So if you live in a city, this might mean that voluntary water restrictions can be put in place earlier," he explained, "to conserve water. So we don't need to go to mandatory restrictions so we can keep water for the things that are most important."
He added farmers especially can benefit from a more accurate understanding of drought conditions, as emergency crop relief assistance and drought insurance payments are often tied to the severity of drought conditions.
The new model also takes into account how climate change can worsen drought events, even with increases in rainfall. Quiring said the research shows the state will likely experience larger, more intense storms followed by prolonged dry spells.
"And so what this means from a drought perspective is that even as the climate might get wetter in the future, we may in fact see an increased frequency and severity of droughts, so intense fluvial events punctuated by these very dry conditions," he continued.
The last time severe drought caused major losses occurred in 2012 when a record-breaking heat wave nationwide resulted in more than $34 billion in economic losses and a 26% decrease in total corn crop yield. Ohio's corn yield dropped from about 160 bushels per acre to 120.
