13 - RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE 2017 LAMAR COUNTY MITIGATION PLAN

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Lamar County Multi- Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Chapter Three high pressure system. A high pressure system brings warm sunny weather and serves as a moisture dam in the atmosphere. A high pressure system can weaken or even block a low pressure system, which is the needed rainfall. A drought is aggravated by the fact that as the ground gets drier there is less moisture for cloud development or rain and the high pressure system becomes stagnant, therefore a drought can elevate its own severity. The primary air masses that bring moisture to the area originate in the Gulf of Mexico. Air masses that come into the state from the west are usually stripped of moisture by the Rocky Mountains. Lamar County's location makes the entire county vulnerable to drought because of its distance from the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical moisture rich air masses weaken as it goes further inland. Although the entire county is vulnerable to a drought the vulnerability is greater in rural and agricultural areas of the county. 7. Secondary Hazards Drought is considered a secondary hazard brought about by extreme heat and low precipitation. Droughts can have high impact on agricultural businesses, hydro - electric power, and other water dependent industries. The occurrence of drought results in water rationing as well as burn bans. Hazards associated with drought are wild fire and expansive soils. 8. Overall Summary of Vulnerability and Impacts Previous plans have had limited information about exact drought events. This is because of a lack of local data. The drought information is for a multi -county area therefore it is hard to pinpoint the exact locations of droughts. Heat induced thunderstorms can put repeatedly put down much - needed rain on one person's farm and leave the neighbor without a drop. According to NOAA at any time at least on 20% of the U.S. is experiencing a moderate to severe drought. The major drought of the 20th century in terms of length and extent would be the 1930`s Dust Bowl which lasted for up to seven years in some areas of Texas and the Great Plains. This drought, depicted in John Steinbeck`s novel The Grapes of Wrath, was so severe that is caused a mass migration to the western U.S. Droughts are still a common occurrence in Lamar County as well as the rest of the U.S. It is difficult to predict drought probabilities for the near future because of the nature and complexity of the hazard. Droughts evolve over time as certain conditions are met and can spread over a large geographical area. Drought severity depends on its duration, intensity, geographic extent, and the regional water supply demands made by human activities and vegetation. The impact of hazards such as Extreme Heat, Expansive Soils, and Wildfires can be intensified during times of drought. Otherwise, the most direct impact of drought is economic rather than loss of life or immediate destruction of property. RE