Lower Mississippi River Basin Special Drought Webinar

Drought conditions in the Lower Mississippi River Basin continue to deteriorate, with over 76% of the Lower Mississippi watershed in moderate to extreme drought and river levels hitting record lows in some areas. To provide the latest information on current drought conditions, impacts felt across economic sectors ranging from river navigation and transportation to agriculture, as well as short-term and long range outlooks, NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and partners held a webinar focused on the drought in the Lower Mississippi River corridor. The webinar aimed to raise awareness of the impacts to communities and sectors due to the current low river levels. 

This webinar, held on November 18, 2022, included an update on the current drought and river level situation and outlook, and featured information on the impacts being felt on the ground. The webinar was hosted by NIDIS in partnership with NOAA’s National Weather Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

A video recording and summary of the webinar are now available.

Featured Presentations

Welcome and Opening Remarks
Veva Deheza | Executive Director, NOAA/NIDIS
COL Andrew Pannier | Deputy Commander, Mississippi Valley Division, USACE

Drought Impacts along the River Corridor
Paul Rohde | Waterways Council, Inc.
Brad Rippey | Office of the Chief Economist, USDA

How Did We Get Here? A Look Back at Past Conditions in the Basin
Don Duncan | USACE
Victor Murphy | Southern Region, NOAA/National Weather Service

Drought Response Actions
COL Andrew Pannier | Deputy Commander, Mississippi Valley Division, USACE

Where Are We Going? Short-Term and Long-Range Outlooks for the Lower Basin
Jon Gottschalck | Climate Prediction Center, NOAA/National Weather Service
David Welch | Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center, NOAA/National Weather Service

For more information, please contact Meredith Muth (meredith.f.muth@noaa.gov).