Hackberry Beach The response to Hurricane Rita at this undeveloped location mirrors that seen in HollyBeach and Peveto Beach. Sand has been carried from the beach at least as far as the backing marsh where standing water precludes our observation of deposition. Note the extensive flooding in the marshes landward of the canal.
Holly Beach In the lower photograph, note the sand deposit emerging from the flood waters in a mid-island location half way between the arrows, as well as landward of the main highway along the far-left side.
Peveto Beach Overwash of beach sand is apparent along and near the shore-parallel road surfaces.
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A drought is a prolonged, abnormally dry period when there is not enough water for users normal needs. Drought is not simply low rainfall; if it was, much of inland Australia would be in almost perpetual drought. Because people use water in so many different ways, there is no universal definition of drought. Australia has experienced two significant 100-year droughts in the last 100 or so years as well as others not described here. These major droughts have resulted in financial losses, personal hardship and environmental damage. In Western New South Wales and west Darling areas, the 1895 Federation Drought was exacerbated by heavy overstocking (PDF 337Kb), and the arrival of rabbits which crossed the Murray River into western New South Wales in 1881 and reached plague proportions. Overstocking caused widespread severe erosion and increased the effects of the drought. |
