Analysis: Why tackling drought is a significant part of Democrats’ economic package
The drought that’s emptying Lake Mead has gripped a substantial portion of the Southwest. We expect states like Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico to be dry, but those are now unusually dry. Which is why it’s not really a surprise that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema , as she advocated for changes to the Inflation Reduction Act that is soon headed to President Biden’s desk, insisted on includingAs you’re probably aware, the Inflation Reduction Act is pointedly named but broad in scope.
Below, for example, are the Drought Monitor’s depictions of the first or second week of August in each of the last 22 years. The current map is at bottom. But using the Drought Monitor’s county-level data, we can see how much of the country’s population has been affected by at least four weeks of drought in any given year. From 2000 to 2004, for example, an average of 46 percent of the population was not affected by drought; about 4 percent of the population experienced at least four weeks of exceptional drought.