Severe Drought Declared in Central ME, What's That Mean Though?

Hearing that all of or parts of Maine are in drought conditions is not a new thing for most Mainers. But are we really all up-to-speed on what exactly the different levels of drought severity are.. or mean?

According to the Kennebec Journal, the entire state of Maine (that's a lot!) is currently experiencing some level of drought. However, the only region that has made it into 'severe' territory is Central Maine.

When taking a look at the US Drought Monitor graphic, you can clearly see that the entire state of Maine is shaded, though some sections are in different colors. For north and down-east sections of the state are currently experiencing 'abnormally dry' conditions, while the rest of the state is in a moderate drought. That of course is with the D2 section of Central Maine being considered severe.

When it comes to different levels of drought classification, what do the different levels actually mean? We took a look at a grid like breakdown on the US drought map to find out.

Abnormally Dry conditions, like what north and down-east Maine is experiencing mean,

Going into drought:

short-term dryness slowing planting, growth of crops or pastures

Coming out of the drought conditions:

some lingering water deficits
pastures or crops not fully recovered

Severe Drought, like what Central Maine is experiencing, indicates that,

Crop or pasture losses likely
Water shortages common
Water restrictions imposed

The rest of Maine is shaded in the D1 category or, Moderate Drought, and according to the US Drought Monitor means that the following is likely;

Some damage to crops, pastures
Streams, reservoirs, or wells low, some water shortages developing or imminent
Voluntary water-use restrictions requested

Even if we had a solid day of pouring rain it still wouldn't do much for the current conditions. Sure, it might make your lawn a little greener, but it wouldn't do much to move the needle on the drought conditions. So do what you can to help conserve water and certainly try not to let your well run dry!

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

TIPS: Here's how you can prepare for power outages

KEEP READING: Get answers to 51 of the most frequently asked weather questions...

KEEP READING: What to do after a tornado strikes

LOOK: Here is the richest town in each state

Just saying the names of these towns immediately conjures up images of grand mansions, luxury cars, and ritzy restaurants. Read on to see which town in your home state took the title of the richest location and which place had the highest median income in the country. Who knows—your hometown might even be on this list.

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

Do you have our free radio station app yet? If not, it's the perfect way to request a song, talk to the DJs, enter exclusive contests and to stay up to date with everything that's happening in and around Central Maine and the world. When you download it, make sure you turn on the push notifications so that we can send you exclusive content and local breaking news that you need to know about first. Just enter your mobile number below and we'll send a download link right to your mobile device. After that, you can download for free and immediately begin accessing all kinds of exclusive content tailored just for you. Give it a try and stay connected with us!