Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 1 · column 5 of 7 · from the scan, no model involved
A bi-weekly update issued by the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force reports that Virginia is experiencing “drought conditions that are similar to the 1930’s drought.” It states that “a total of 49 jurisdictions have requested assistance from the Governor to be declared a disaster area.”
The report observes that the recent pattern of severe thunderstorms is providing beneficial moisture to some areas, “but the storms are extremely spotty with downpours of two to three inches common over small areas.” Those storms, it continues, will help to restore a nearnormal rainfall pattern and “help to moderate the drought conditions. but not end it.”
Rainfall accumulations for the year monitored statewide showed variations from normal of between -4.66 inches (Bristol) and -10.21 (Danville). Norfolk and Danville showed the least actual rainfall in the state, and had the greatest deviation from normal.
The task force also reported readings from a statistical model called the Palmer Drought Severity Index, which indicates prolonged wet or dry conditions over a large area in terms of a variation from zero, or normal. Numbers above minus four are considered “extreme drought”. The Tidewater (-4.59), Eastern
92.7%