Drought Early Warning Activities
Each regional drought early warning system (DEWS) focuses on improving early warning capacity for and resilience to drought in that region, including examining the role of extreme weather events and climate variability in drought.
NIDIS has developed regional drought early warning systems (DEWS) throughout the United States, where local networks of researchers, resource managers, policymakers, the private sector, academics, and other stakeholders share information and actions to help their communities cope with drought.
A DEWS coordinates this network of key regional partners so that decision makers and citizens can systematically approach drought monitoring and forecasting integration when planning and preparing for drought. Regional DEWS encourage innovation by integrating new, locally relevant drought information, and supporting the introduction and testing of technologies that detect and communicate drought risks and warnings.
Regional DEWS activities focus on five key areas for drought early warning (DEWS components): observation and monitoring, prediction and forecasting, planning and preparedness, communication and outreach, and interdisciplinary research and applications.
Drought Early Warning Activities
The table below shows ongoing activities related to drought early warning across the United States. Each activity falls into one or more of the five key areas of drought early warning systems (DEWS components): observation and monitoring, planning and preparedness, prediction and forecasting, communication and outreach, and interdisciplinary research and applications.
Motivated by the severity and rapid development of the 2017 drought, in addition to inquiries by the NOAA Central Region Climate Services Director as well as the NIDIS Reauthorization Act of…
2017
2018
This monthly outlook summarizes climate and weather information from various sources in nonscientific language. The SWCO also provides a tool for two-way communication with stakeholders and a…
In order to ensure the inclusion of indigenous perspectives in the implementation of the regional drought early warning systems (DEWS), NIDIS launched a Tribal Drought Engagement Project in…
2019
2019
Provide the lead U.S. Drought Monitor author state-level input each week on drought conditions and local interpretations on drought indices for Oregon.
The Washington Department of Ecology is the state's lead agency for water supplies, and this web page summarizes statewide conditions based on multiple data sources, drought preparedness and…