MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... MESONET TICKER ... August 30, 2005 August 30, 2005 August 30, 2005 August 30, 2005
More on Drought
As featured in yesterday's Ticker, much of southeast Oklahoma remains mired in medium-to-long-term drought. Here's a look at precipitation compared to the so-called normal since March 1:
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20050830/gropct.png
One of the consequences of drought, of course, is dry vegetation, which is a fire hazard. An additional consequence of drought, of course, is dry soil, which is also a fire hazard. The following map shows the Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) from the Oklahoma Fire Danger Model The OKFD Model was developed with leadership from Oklahoma State University's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources):
http://ticker.mesonet.org/archive/20050830/kbdi_0829.gif
KBDI estimates the water content in the top eight inches of soil, and is a very useful tool for wildfire management and mitigation. When KBDI's creep up above 200, organic material in the soil can contribute to fires. At KBDI's above 400, this organic material will participate even more. At ranges above 650 and 700, the drought-associated fire hazard is considered severe!
In southeast Oklahoma, where KBDI values sit at or near 700, the current drought is exacerbating fire hazard in the region.
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