Monday, October 11, 2021
Oklahoma faces the impacts of drought during September Stephen Stumpf Staff Reporter
we actually got in Payne County, most of the county is way under one inch. When you receive less than half an inch and crops are still growing, you
September was the 17th warmest and driest month for Oklahoma since records began in 1895. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 73% of Oklahoma was experiencing drought conditions by the end of September, a 67% increase since the end of August and the state’s highest percentage since Feb. 20, 2018. Wes Lee, at the National Weather Service Station in Norman, said Oklahoma experienced a flash drought in September, which occurs when a region receives rain normally throughout the year until the rain abruptly stops for an extended period of time. Oklahoma had minimal rainfall in the month of September, which is normally one of the wettest months of the year. Lee said 30 or 40 days without rainfall during a time where moisture is vital can allow short-term flash droughts that pop up quickly. “We typically get somewhere in Payne County about three to four can get into a pretty serious situation.” inches (of rain) in the month of SepDr. Stephen Stadler at Oklahoma tember,” Lee said. “This year, we were State helped explain why September 2.5 inches behind. If we looked at what was drier than expected.
“September was very dry compared to usual,” Stadler said. “We had some fronts come in, but there was no gulf moisture that came in front of
those fronts to accompany them; and with the moisture down low, the lift from fronts, and the jet stream, you get the big storms which drop rain. We
haven’t had that as much as usual. “So, what you had going on was that we were still having the heat of the summer which was this high pressure dome that waggles back and forth, and it mixed sinking air over the top of us, and it’s hard for anything to go upward to make storms.” The drought also came at the heels of an unusually warm month for the state. The average temperature in September for the state was 76.3 degrees Fahrenheit, 3.4 degrees higher than normal, according to Mesonet data. Whether Oklahoma’s heat and drought in September was an anomaly or another adverse event of climate change is up for debate, but Stadler said people should be aware of their climate, their surroundings, and any threats to their well-being. “We should always be aware of climate,” Stadler said. “Our problem is that climate change is happening around the globe, there is no doubt about this,” Dr. Stadler said. “And that we should say ‘OK, how are we vulnerable (to climate change) in Oklahoma?’ And as a state I think it’s the water issue.”
Culture Shock The 2021 Culture Shock Event news.ed@ocolly.com
Bailey Sisk Staff Reporter
Tables surrounded the Student Union with organizations embracing different cultures and educating students on the diversity around campus. Oklahoma State University’s Sigma Lambda Alpha Sorority Inc. hosted its annual Culture Shock event outside the Student Union on Oct. 7. The event celebrated culture diversity through tabling of over 10 multicultural student organizations, performances and the newly added theme of cultural wear. SLA is a sorority under the Multicultural Greek Council at OSU. The mission of the organization is to promote community service involvement, academic achievement and excel the stance of Latino cultures in society. Culture Shock is the sisterhood’s biggest event of the year, and it served as a reminder of all the different presences on campus and how each of them is represented. Junior SLA social chair, Monserrat Solorzano, began planning for this event at the beginning of the year with hopes of showcasing the beautiful and unique aspects of each culture. Alex Hernandez The Culture Shock event was held at the Student Union.
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