Drought in the Great Plains: History of Societal Response

Abstract

The Great Plains has a long history of drought episodes which have, in some years, significantly reducedexpected crop yields. The historic evidence suggests that such droughts will probably recur in the future.The drought of the 1930's stimulated the Department of Agriculture to initiate a program in long rangeweather forecasting. A research program, set up in 1935 at MIT, later became the basis for the monthlyforecasts issued by the United States Weather Bureau. A program of experimental climate forecasts continuestoday as part~of the United States National Climate Program which was established by Congress in 1978.While it is likely that some improvement in seasonal forecasting will come in the decades ahead, real-timemonitoring and analysis of moisture conditions for irrigation and crop planting is an immediate high priority.A pilot monitoring and analysis program for use by state officials and government agencies has been established in Nebraska.