Drought is a recurring risk faced by agricultural producers
Over the past century, an average of 7 percent of U.S. agricultural land has experienced severe or extreme drought each year. Over half the total agricultural land experienced severe or extreme drought in 1934, and over 40 percent in 1954 and 1956. More recently, in 1988 and 2002, about 20 percent of acreage was affected. In 2004, about 5 percent of the agricultural land experienced severe, extreme, or exceptional drought.