KPBS Midday Edition

Extended Dry Period Suggests State Could Be In 'Mega Drought'

By Jade Hindmon / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, Harrison Patiño / Producer, KPBS Midday Edition

Published April 20, 2021 at 11:04 AM PDT

This story was published more than 2 years ago.

Irrigation water runs along the dried-up ditch between the rice farms to provide water for the rice fields in Richvale, Calif., May 1, 2014.

Extended Dry Period Suggests State Could Be In "Mega Drought"

For many Californians, concerns over drought conditions haven’t been a seasonal issue - they’ve been a way of life. With consecutive years of record high temperatures and scarce rainfall, some climate researchers are hinting at the possibility California has actually been in a protracted “mega-drought” - which means the impact of climate change could be much more severe across the state.

For many Californians, concern over drought conditions hasn't been a seasonal issue — it's been a part of everyday life.

With consecutive years of record high temperatures and scarce rainfall, some climate researchers are hinting at the possibility that California has actually been in a protracted state of “mega drought,” which means the impact of climate change could be much more severe across the state.

As residents continue to adjust to a warmer, drier days and nights and increasingly devastating fire seasons, climate experts warn that the sustained extreme weather will have a severe impact on both the region's urban area and agricultural sectors.

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Daniel Cayan, a researcher of climate, atmospheric science and physical oceanography at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, joined Midday Edition on Tuesday to discuss the issue.

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Jade Hindmon

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Jade Hindmon is KPBS Midday Edition co-host. Prior to making San Diego home, Jade worked in markets across the Southeast and Midwest, building a network of sources to tell the stories of people in each community. She worked as a multimedia journalist and anchor at WRTV in Indianapolis. While there, she launched “The Weekend Edition of Good Morning Indiana” and generated breaking news content for both broadcast and digital platforms. Prior to Indianapolis, she was an anchor and multimedia journalist at FOX Carolina in Greenville, SC. As part of that Emmy Award winning team, she covered elections, landed exclusive interviews, and interviewed presidential candidates. Jade also had the opportunity to cover international news and was able to travel to South Africa during the 2010 World Cup. Jade is a three-time Emmy nominee, a National Association of Black Journalists Salute to Excellence Finalist, and the recipient of a South Carolina Associated Press Award. She is a proud graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

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Harrison Patiño

Harrison Patiño is a producer for "KPBS Midday Edition". His primary roles include story development, and is involved in the audio production and coordination of interview subjects. Prior to joining KPBS, Harrison held various positions at Hawaii Public Radio within its news and music departments. While pursuing a double major in journalism and classics at The University of Hawaii at Manoa, Harrison worked at the school's student-run radio station, KTUH. After graduating, Harrison served as a community advisor for the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Student Media Board.

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