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Title: Flash drought: Lessons learned from the 2017 drought across the U.S. Northern Plains and Canadian prairies

Author
item JENCSO, KELSEY - University Of Montana
item PARKER, BRITT - National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
item DOWNEY, MICHAEL - Montana Department Of Natural Resources And Conservation
item HADWEN, TREVOR - Agriculture Canada
item HOELL, ANDREW - National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
item LEAF, JAMES - Great Plains Tribal Water Alliance
item EDWARDS, LAURA - South Dakota State University
item AKYUZ, ADRIAN - North Dakota State University
item Peck, Dannele
item Wilmer, Hailey

Submitted to: National Integrated Drought Information System Special Report
Publication Type: Government Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/29/2019
Publication Date: 6/6/2019
Citation: Jencso, K., Parker, B., Downey, M., Hadwen, T., Hoell, A., Leaf, J.R., Edwards, L., Akyuz, A., Peck, D.E., Wilmer, H.N. 2019. Flash drought: Lessons learned from the 2017 drought across the U.S. Northern Plains and Canadian prairies. National Integrated Drought Information System Special Report. https://www.drought.gov/drought/documents/flash-drought-lessons-learned-2017-drought-across-us-northern-plains-and-canadian-O

Interpretive Summary: The 2017 drought in northeast Montana, the Dakotas, and the Canadian Prairies was the worst drought to affect the region in decades. It caused $2.6 million in crop losses in the U.S. alone, not including losses in Canada. As climate change makes this region drier, the chances for negative economic and cultural impacts will increase. Communities, agencies, and businesses will need more timely drought warnings and more effective coordination, communication, and management. This report examines the historic 2017 drought and its impacts. It identifies opportunities to improve timeliness, accessibility, and relevance of drought science, forecasts, and data. It also identifies ways to improve coordination for decision-makers in the face of drought.

Technical Abstract: The 2017 drought was a rapid-onset event for northeast Montana, the Dakotas, and the Canadian Prairies during the spring and summer of 2017. It was the worst drought to impact the U.S. Northern Plains in decades and it decimated crops across the region, resulting in $2.6 million in agricultural losses in the U.S. alone, not including additional losses in Canada. The unique circumstances of this drought created an opportunity to evaluate and improve the efficacy of drought-related coordination, communication, and management within the region. As this region becomes more arid due to climate change, (Conant et. al., 2018; Hoell et. al., 2018) the potential for economic and cultural impacts will increase. These changes have made communities, agencies, and businesses more dependent than ever on timely and actionable early warning information. The purpose of this report is to examine the historic 2017 drought event and its impacts, identify opportunities to improve timeliness, accessibility, and relevance of science, forecast, and data products, and to identify opportunities to improve coordination for those making decisions in the face of drought.