Oklahoma Mesonet // Press Releases

• University of Oklahoma Presents Meteorological Recommendations to the Republic of Croatia (6/18/2009)
• Two Oklahoma Educators Honored with Public Service Award from State Climate Agency (5/5/2009)
• First-of-its-kind Weather Observing Network Located in Oklahoma City Unveiled Today During the National Weather Festival (11/11/2008)
• University of Oklahoma Awarded $3.8 Million NOAA-funded Project For Climate, Drought Assessments, Planning Tools (10/8/2008)
• Oklahoma Panhandle Drought Labeled "Exceptional" (6/19/2008)
• University of Oklahoma Meteorology Team to Visit Croatia for Needs Assessment (6/18/2008)
• Climate Change Statement for Oklahoma: An Official Statement of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey (10/29/2007)
• OCS Climatologist to Speak at National Convention (10/3/2007)
• Can Parts of Oklahoma Still Be Dry? (7/30/2007)
• 14 Percent Less Tan (6/20/2007)
• June 2007 Now Wettest on Record Statewide (6/29/2007)
• It was the Wettest of Times... (6/20/2007)
• First 90-degree day in Oklahoma City (6/8/2007)
• Drought Ends in Oklahoma (sort of) (4/5/2007)
• El Niño Fizzles...Does Drought Return? (2/6/2007)
• Drought Picture in Oklahoma Mixed (12/14/2006)
• Drought Improvements (mostly) Not Warranted (12/7/2006)
• Oklahoma Dodges a Bullet (12/4/2006)
• Drought Remains Severe in Northwest Oklahoma (11/9/2006)
• Crimson and, Um, Orange? OU shares Norman campus with OSU (10/26/2006)
• Halloween Weather (10/23/2006)
• Early Freeze for Oklahoma? (10/10/2006)
• The Migration of Royalty (10/9/2006)
• El Niño and Oklahoma Drought: Friend or Foe? (9/19/2006)
• Drought in Southern Oklahoma Deemed "Exceptional" (8/30/2006)
• July 2006 Far From Warmest For Oklahoma (7/25/2006)
• Summer May Be Just Getting Started (7/25/2006)
• Weekend Rain OK (6/19/2006)
• Norman Meteorologist Travels to China (6/6/2006)
• Out With a BANG? (5/3/2006)
• Just A Drop in the Bucket (3/9/2006)
• March 1 Record Temperatures (3/2/2006)
• La Niña's Return May Spell Doom for Drought Relief (2/20/2006)
• Oklahoma Drought Update (2/10/2006)
• Drought: Oklahoma's Costliest Weather Hazard (1/27/2006)
• Rain Helps Some But Drought Far From Over (1/23/2006)
• January Burn Conditions Set Records (1/19/2006)
• It's Not Always Warm In Oklahoma (1/12/2006)
• Dryness Lingers On for Much of State (6/17/2004)
• May 2004 Likely To Be State's Driest (6/1/2004)
• Nebraska Snows and Oklahoma's Woes (2/16/2004)
• November: Feast or Famine (12/02/2003)
• Monthly Climate of Oklahoma - October (10/09/2003)
• Royal Wind Vanes Visit Oklahoma (9/11/2003)
• Monthly Climate of Oklahoma - September (9/10/2003)
• Monthly Climate of Oklahoma - August (7/31/2003)
• Monthly Climate of Oklahoma - July (7/7/2003)
• Rain, Rain, Go Away (6/11/2003)
• Oklahoma Springtime Dangers (6/8/2003)

Drought: Oklahoma's Costliest Weather Hazard
January 27, 2006

droughtupdate.pdf

Drought Oklahomas Costliest Weather Hazard.doc

Drought: Oklahoma's Costliest Weather Hazard
By Derek Arndt
Acting State Climatologist for Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Climatological Survey
1/27/2006

NORMAN - Since November 1st, the number of acres reported consumed by fire stands at 428,945 acres. This is greater than the number of acres reported consumed by significant (F2+) tornadoes in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s.

In other words, the fires of the last 90 days have bested the work of a decade's worth of tornadoes. The fires are largely driven by weather, in the short-term and in the long term. Drought not only stresses live vegetation, but it invites larger fuels into the fuel complex. This raises the chance of occurrence, and also makes for more energetic (and more difficult to extinguish) fires.

Drought is Oklahoma's costliest, if not most famous, natural hazard. This is why thinking about drought is so important, not just during the "brown" months of drought, but especially so during the "green" months in between.

Education and awareness have saved countless Oklahoma lives during severe weather outbreaks. Generations of familiarity and attention to the hazards of violent weather makes the state, and her people, extremely well-equipped to respond to the ever-improving warnings from the National Weather Service.

Oklahoma also has an impressive drought-preparedness precedent in our history as well.

Statistically, for much of Oklahoma, the droughts of the 1950s were more severe than those of the 1930s. However, the human toll was less, for a number of reasons. Some of those reasons included preparedness and mitigation, embodied in crop selection, conservation strategies, and sound business decisions. The lessons of the 1930s helped the next generation cope with the climatic hardships of the 1950s.

This drought will end eventually. Hopefully, the drought's lessons will not also end with it.

Media Contact:

Cerry Leffler
Oklahoma Climatological Survey
100 E. Boyd, Suite 1210
Norman, OK 73019-1012
405-325-2541
405-325-2550 (fax)
cerry@ou.edu

For Additional Information:

Derek Arndt
Acting State Climatologist
100 E. Boyd, Suite 1210
Norman, OK 73019-1012
405-325-2541
405-325-2550 (fax)
darndt@ou.edu