1988–89 North American drought facts for kids

The 1988–89 North American drought was a big weather problem that affected North America for about two years. It started in 1988 in the central and eastern parts of the United States. This included the Midwestern United States, the High Plains, and the Northeastern United States. Large areas of high pressure in the atmosphere settled over these regions. These high-pressure systems stopped thunderstorms from forming, which meant less rain.

What Caused the 1988 Drought?

During the spring of 1988, cities like Milwaukee, Wisconsin, had a very long time without any rain. Milwaukee went 55 days straight without any precipitation (rain or snow). This lack of rain made the ground very dry.

Summer Heat Waves

In the summer of 1988, two very strong heat waves hit the country. These were similar to other big heat waves in 1934, 1936, and 1983. The constant very hot weather, combined with the drought, was very dangerous. Sadly, these heat waves led to as many as 17,000 deaths across the United States.

How the Drought Affected the Land

The dry conditions and heat caused many problems.

Wildfires and Dry Land

During the summer of 1988, the drought led to many wildfires, especially in western North America. One of the most famous events was the Yellowstone fires of 1988. These fires burned a lot of land in Yellowstone National Park.

At its worst, the drought covered 45% of the United States in 1988. This was a huge area, though it was less than the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, which covered 70% of the country.

Damage and Costs

Even though it covered less area than the Dust Bowl, the 1988 drought caused a lot of damage. It cost about $60 billion. This made it the most expensive drought in the history of the United States. It was also the costliest natural disaster in the country's history until Hurricane Katrina hit 17 years later.

The drought destroyed many crops all over the country. Farmers lost a lot of their harvest. Lawns and gardens turned brown because there wasn't enough water. Many cities had to ask people to use less water. They put in place water restrictions to save what little water they had.

When the Drought Ended

Some relief came to parts of the Midwest thanks to Hurricane Gilbert. This storm brought more than four inches of helpful rain. Hurricane Gilbert crossed Texas and Oklahoma as a weaker tropical storm. But it spread rain as far north as the Great Lakes.

However, other places were still very dry by early autumn 1988. They had very low readings on the Palmer Drought Severity Index, which measures how dry an area is.

Continued Dryness in 1989

Dry conditions continued into 1989 and even into 1990 in some areas. States like Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri were still affected.

The damage caused by the 1988–89 drought was similar to the damage from other big storms. These include Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Images for kids

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  Exploration of wooden hull wrecks in the Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee during the drought.

See also

In Spanish: Sequía en América del Norte de 1988-1990 para niños