Droughts come and go as a natural part of climate. Some species of plants and animals are adapted to drought and need it as part of their life cycle. However, prolonged drought can cause devastation to the areas that are affected by it, and the people that live there can suffer significant hardship due to the lack of water. In 2012, an exceptional drought affected large parts of the Great Plains (and parts of the Southeast as well). Now, it appears that the Great Plains is about to experience another terrible drought. Impacts are already being seen in low yields of winter wheat, and the dry conditions are likely to impact both crop and livestock producers this growing season. Fire potential is also high in many areas, and wildfires are affecting some areas already and those areas are likely to expand over the summer. You can read more about it in the Washington Post at https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/04/11/drought-plains-fire-us/. Also see the map below from Brian Brettschneider showing the year to date precip anomalies.
