The worst famine caused by drought was in northern China in 1876-79, when between 9 and 13 million people are estimated to have died after the rains failed for three consecutive years.

The earliest drought recorded and observed in the United States was in 1621. The most well-known American drought was the Dust Bowl on the Great Plains from 1931 to 1936. The years 1934 and 1936 were the two driest years in the recorded history of U.S. climate.

New scientific evidence suggests that the drought of the 1930s was the worst in North America in the last 300 years, but it may pale in comparison with droughts in prehistoric times. The data suggests that droughts may have lasted decades or even longer, much longer than the seven years between 1933 and 1940.

United States

• 1935 Black Sunday (storm)
• 1983 United States drought.
• 1988–89 North American drought.
• 2002 North American drought.
• 2010–2013 Southern United States and Mexico drought.
• 2011–2017 California drought.
• 2012–13 North American drought.
• 2016 New York drought.

The Most Drought Prone Countries in the World

1. Ethiopia. Poor harvests and recurrent insecurity in some regions of Ethiopia has led to food instability and falling food reserves across the country.
2. Sudan. About 2.8 million people in Sudan are affected by drought every year.
3. Eritrea.
4. Afghanistan.
5. China.
6. Pakistan.
7. Iran.
8. Somalia.

Roughly 2.5 billion people – 30 percent of the world’s population – live in the dry areas, which cover more than 40 percent of the world’s land surface. Scarce natural resources, land degradation and frequent droughts severely challenge food production in these areas.

From 1950 to 1957, Texas experienced the most severe drought in recorded history.

Choose a water-efficient irrigation system such as drip irrigation for your trees, shrubs, and flowers. Turn irrigation down in fall and off in winter. Water manually in winter only if needed. Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants to reduce evaporation and keep the soil cool.

40 percent

Pacific Ocean

71 percent

While useful for many things, rainwater is not as pure as you might think, so you cannot assume it is safe to drink. Rain can wash different types of contaminants into the water you collect (for example, bird poop on your roof could end up in your water barrel or tank).

Stored rainwater may contain some organic matter, in the form of insect larvae or algae growth. Rain also contains traces of nitrates, essential for plant growth. If you filter or distill your tap water, then it is better than straight tap water for your houseplant.

Spring water’s attributes outweigh the composition and taste of rain. Spring water has had the benefit of a natural filtration system to make it the most naturally beneficial water on the planet. Rainwater is best used to water plants, for outdoor cleaning, and so forth.It is not good for drinking.

Many people who prefer rainwater feel that the taste is “cleaner”, “purer” or even “sweeter”. Several public health authorities acknowledge that when rainwater comes from a well-maintained Rain Harvesting system – and it is clear and has little taste or odour – it’s also of a quality that is fit to drink.

Wash your laundry with rainwater! Rainwater contains no limescale-causing minerals. Compared with tap water, you will therefore need considerably less detergent.

Most rainwater has a pH of 5.6 to 5.8, simply due to the pressence of carbonic acid (H2CO3). The latter is formed from dissolved CO2 gas and H2O. These names are somewhat in conflict with the common pH scale, for which 7 is “neutral”, below 7 is “acid” and above 7 is “base”.