North Dakota Water Science Center
| Date | Area Affected | Recurrence Interval | Remarks |
| 1885-86 | Western part of State | Unknown | Especially severe in 1886; crops poor. |
| 1929-42 | Statewide | 25 to 74 years | Regional drought. |
| 1952-62 | Statewide | 26 to 50 years | Less-than-normal runoff in several consecutive years. |
| 1972-77 | James River and Beaver Creek | 5 to 58 years | Localized drought in south-central part of State. |
| 1980-81 | Parts of the Red River of the North and Missouri and James River Basins | 5 to 58 years | Less-than-normal runoff for 2 years. |
| 1988-92 | Statewide | 19 to 54 years | Warm, dry conditions that resulted in less-than-normal streamflow across the State. |
Data Source:
Ryan, G.L., Klapprod, L.A., 1991, North Dakota floods and droughts: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2375, p. 435-442.
Williams-Sether, Tara, Macek-Rowland, K.M., and Emerson, D.G., 1994, Climatic and hydrologic aspects of the 1988-92 drought and the effect on people and resources of North Dakota: North Dakota State Water Commission Water Resources Investigation 29, 57 p.
Williams-Sether, Tara, 1999, From dry to wet, 1988-97, North Dakota: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-075-99, 4 p.
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://nd.water.usgs.gov/drought/faqs/faq6.html
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Page Last Modified: Tuesday, 09-Oct-2007 12:38:51 EDT
