Written By: Brianne Minton, AUWRC
About Alabama Drought Reach
The Alabama Drought Reach (ADR) program is working to improve drought communication and drought impact monitoring in Alabama. It is a collaborative partnership between the Auburn University Water Resources Center, the Alabama State Climate Office, and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. For the latest drought conditions across the state, follow ADR on Twitter (X) and Facebook, subscribe to our drought newsletters, or visit the Alabama Drought Reach website.
2024 Program Highlights
ADR is committed to providing diverse avenues for drought communication and outreach. Here’s a glimpse of our 2024 accomplishments:
- Podcasts: We were special guests for 2 podcasts with Alabama Extension and the Alabama Farmers Federation.
- Reports: We generated 52 Drought Reports and 35 Crop Impact Reports.
- Presentations: We delivered 8 presentations within Alabama Extension and shared our expertise at various public meetings.
- Newsletters: We published 28 Drought Update Newsletters.
2025 is also off to a great start! Brianne Minton (ADR Program Coordinator) participated in two significant workshops this January.
Brianne Minton (ADR Program Coordinator) reconnects with Rachel McGuire (of the Jones Center) at the NIDIS workshop in Raleigh.
NIDIS Workshop on Drought and Aquatic Ecosystems
Brianne kicked off January with a visit to Raleigh, NC for a workshop focused on drought and aquatic ecosystems in the Southeast. This workshop was hosted by the USGS Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), and the Southeast Drought Early Warning System (DEWS). It explored critical themes like:
- Drought/low-flow ecosystem impacts and water resource management in the Southeast
- Ecological drought monitoring and response
- Drought/low-flow in long-term resilience and adaptation planning
During the tools and resources fair, Brianne trained attendees on reporting drought conditions and impacts via CMOR (Condition Monitoring Observer Reports). This public tool empowers individuals to report drought conditions and related impacts. The workshop provided an invaluable opportunity to connect with fellow drought scientists and share Alabama’s drought impact perspective. As a science communicator, Brianne was especially thrilled to hear that so many professionals wanted more opportunities for communications training.
Bree Minton visits the French Quarter in New Orleans after the AMS Annual Meeting
American Metorological Society Annual Meeting
After a brief weekend back home in Huntsville, Brianne was off to New Orleans, LA for the AMS Annual Meeting. This global gathering brought over 6,000 professionals together to explore the theme “Towards a Thriving Planet: Charting the Course Across Scales.” With so many symposiums offered at AMS, Brianne focused her attendance on sessions related to drought, communication, soil moisture, and disasters. She was able to connect with U.S. Drought Monitor authors and state climatologists. She was also able to share Alabama’s commitment to drought response and communication, inspiring other agencies to strengthen their relationships between state climate offices, extension services, and citizens. These meetings provided invaluable opportunities to network, learn, and showcase the success of the ADR program.
Upcoming Webinar with the Alabama Forestry Association
2025 has only begun! Alabama Drought Reach will continue to offer more webinars throughout the year. Join us for our next webinar with the Alabama Forestry Association (AFA) on February 20, 2025, at 11 am CST. AFA Connect offers presentations on all aspects of Alabama’s forest industry. Register here to learn more about Alabama Drought Reach and the impacts of drought on forests: https://member.alaforestry.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1931029&group=
Thank you!
Thank you for your continued support of Alabama Drought Reach! We appreciate your engagement. For any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at drought@auburn.edu.