United States and Puerto Rico Author(s):
Pacific Islands and Virgin Islands Author(s):
Estimated Population in Drought Areas:
There were no changes made in Puerto Rico this week.
A generally wet pattern continued across the U.S. Virgin Islands, leaving the entire territory free of dryness and drought. During the drought-monitoring period, a network of volunteer (CoCoRaHS) observers noted rainfall totaling 0.99 to 1.29 inches on St. Thomas and 1.20 to 1.58 inches on St. John. Slightly drier weather prevailed on St. Croix, where totals ranged from 0.24 to 0.88 inch. Visual observations and the Vegetation Health Index (VHI) indicated that vegetation is much more lush than a year ago, when severe to extreme drought (D2 to D3) was plaguing the territory. Depth to groundwater at three U.S. Geological Survey wells has been relatively steady in recent weeks, and the Standardized Precipitation Index indicates that drought-free conditions exist for all time scales at each reliable observation site.
Full Summary
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The National Drought Mitigation Center’s mission is to reduce the effects of drought on people, the environment and the economy by researching the science of drought monitoring and the practice of drought planning. We collaborate with and learn from decision-makers at all levels – individual ranchers, communities, regions, watersheds, tribes, states, countries – across the US and around the world. We organize and present workshops, writeshops and other capacity-building activities, in close cooperation with local partners.
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