Largest Natural Disaster Area Ever Declared in the U.S.

[bvar22]

21. West/Central Arkansas, the Ouachita Mountains

We are in a "severe" drought.
This is the 3rd consecutive "drought" year.
Hardwood trees (Oaks and Hickory) that dominate this extensive national Forest have begun to go "dormant" the last couple of weeks.
They shut down, the leaves turn brown, and fall off.
This is a natural survival mechanism for hardwoods in times of low available water,
but how many years in a row can these beautiful old Hardwoods go dormant and still survive?

My wife and I depend on our spring/well to irrigate our veggie garden.
So far, it has been up to the challenge, and we are preserving food for the Winter,
but if the spring goes dry, life here will get much harder.

It is MUCH worse to our immediate west in Oklahoma,
and the very center of Arkansas (Little Rock) has been upgraded from "severe" to "extreme",
with some areas declared "exceptional". I had never before heard of the "exceptional drought" category.

If THIS is the New Normal,
We (inclusive) are in a LOT of trouble.