Tropical systems ease U.S. drought Updated at 12:40 p.m.
Tropical Depression 13 formed in the Bay of Campeche today and
was expected to hit the Mexican coastline near Veracruz on
Tuesday morning as a minimal tropical storm. If that forecast
holds, it would be named Marco. At least some good has come of
all the tropical systems that have whacked the U.S. coastline
this year: The overall drought situation has eased considerably.
According to Douglas Le Comte, a drought specialist with the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the amount of
area suffering from drought has decreased by almost 30 percent
since mid June. “During the past 12 weeks there has been a
pronounced reduction in extreme to exceptional drought in many
areas of the country,” he said in a statement released last
week. NOAA notes that Tropical Storm Fay had the greatest
impact, easing drought conditions in Georgia, Alabama,
Mississippi, Tennessee, the Carolinas -- and, of course,
Florida. Hurricane Gustav ended the drought in Louisia