Drought is among the most damaging and least understood of all natural hazards. It is a normal part of climate and yet is perceived as infrequent and random. Droughts can last from a single season to multiple decades and impact a few hundred to tens of thousands of square miles. Over the past century, approximately 14% of the United States has been affected by severe or extreme climatological drought in an average year, although it was as high as 65% during the Dust Bowl, and has recently been about 35% for some regions. The paleoclimate record shows that past droughts have lasted decades; many more severe than were experienced over the last century.

Many state and federal agencies are beginning to recognize the need to move forward with a more proactive, risk-based drought management approach. The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) represents the culmination of many years of experience from scientific inquiry, monitoring insight, socioeconomic impacts, and response partnerships at federal, state, and local levels. This broad experience base and our increasing vulnerability points to the need for a unified federal policy to help states and local communities prepare for and mitigate the damaging effects of drought.

Panelists will address initiatives being undertaken as part of NIDIS and related efforts towards development of a drought early warning system. Panelists include:

• Tim Owen, National Climatic Data Center

• Shaun McGrath, Western Governors' Association

• Hope Mizzell, South Carolina State Climatologist

• Brad Rippey, USDA Agricultural Meteorologist & Drought Monitor Author

• Mark Svoboda, National Drought Mitigation Center