© 2024 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Kansas City Today

Is drought the new normal for the Midwest?

By Nomin Ujiyediin,
Byron J. Love
Published November 30, 2022 at 4:00 AM CST
Ways To Subscribe

In the Midwest and Great Plains, widespread drought has dried up lakes and rivers, ignited wildfires, decimated crop harvests and left cattle with no grass to eat. The ripple effects of this and future droughts will continue to affect our diets, health and economy for generations to come.

Drought now covers more than half of the continental U.S. and its ripple effects touch everything from the food we eat to the air we breathe to the water we drink. In one of the hardest hit regions, the Great Plains, there’s not much relief in sight. For Harvest Public Media and the Kansas News Service, David Condos reports.

Think of this year’s drought as dress rehearsal for the drier, hotter future that scientists predict climate change has in store. Long-lasting drought conditions could change what we eat, how we breathe and where we go for a drink of water. Elizabeth Rembert reports for Harvest Public Media and the Kansas News Service.

Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR onTwitter andFacebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate

Tags
Kansas City Today Harvest Public MediaKansas News ServicedroughtClimate Change
Nomin Ujiyediin
As a newscaster and a host of a daily news podcast, I want to deliver the most important and interesting news of the day in an engaging and easily understandable way. No matter where you live in the metro or what you’re interested in, I want you to learn something from each newscast or podcast – and maybe even give you something to talk about at the dinner table.
See stories by Nomin Ujiyediin
Byron J. Love
As an on-demand producer, I am focused on using my skills and experiences across multiple digital applications, platforms and media fields to create community focused audio, video and on-demand products for KCUR Studios. The media that I produce aims to inform, entertain and connect with the Kansas City metro area as we continue to learn from each other. Email me at byronlove@kcur.org.
See stories by Byron J. Love
Support paywall-free journalism
KCUR prides ourselves on bringing local journalism to the public without a paywall — ever.

Our reporting will always be free for you to read. But it's not free to produce.

As a nonprofit, we rely on your donations to keep operating and trying new things. If you value our work, consider becoming a member.
Donate Now