Drought in Western United States , Is the Worst in 1,200 Years. CNBC reports researchers say the ongoing drought occurring in the Western United States has caused the driest period in the region in at least 1,200 years. The drought is said to be exacerbated by human-caused climate change. A study, recently published in the journal 'Nature Climate Change,' analyzed droughts in the region going back to the year 800. . Researchers say the drought conditions of the American West are currently more severe than megadroughts that occurred in the 1500s. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a megadrought is a period of severe drought lasting two decades or more. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a megadrought is a period of severe drought lasting two decades or more. Researchers warn that drought conditions are likely to persist and worsen for years to come. Rather than starting to die away after wet years in 2017 and 2019... it’s now as strong as it ever was. , A. Park Williams, climate scientist at UCLA, via CNBC. There is no evidence that the 2000s drought is starting to relent. , A. Park Williams, climate scientist at UCLA, via CNBC. Per the U.S. drought monitor, almost 95% of the Western United States currently experiences drought conditions. Such conditions have propelled water supplies to decline and wildfires to rage. Such conditions have propelled water supplies to decline and wildfires to rage. Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the two largest water reservoirs in America, have reached their lowest levels in history. Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the two largest water reservoirs in America, have reached their lowest levels in history. According to CNBC, in 2020, wildfires burned over 10 million acres in the United States
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