Weathering Drought: One State’s Experience

Oklahoma experienced one of its most severe, prolonged droughts during 2005-2006. Yet despite its severity, new tools and partnerships among agencies, developed over the previous decade, helped the state manage the drought with few crises. A combination of new monitoring tools, such as the Oklahoma Mesonet, improved communication and coordination among agencies, and policies, such as low-interest loans to upgrade water supply systems, contributed to the state’s outstanding performance.