Every dry season can potentially lead to a drought thankfully we are usually able to survive the dry season without entering a catastrophic drought situation. Presently we are facing a potential drought that can lead to major changes in how we live our lives. As opposed to regular water shortages and some heat in the dry season, during a drought they may be long periods without water as reservoir levels dropped to new lows. Lakes and rivers often dry up food shortages may occur and there may be overwhelming heat. So how does one survive a drought stick around and we’ll let you know.

The first thing to note is that food prices will increase and it may seem logical that prices of produce will obviously increase but these increases may be seen across the board. In addition to a rising cost in local produce, there may be increases in the price of meat and animal by-products such as eggs, milk and cheese. Prices of dried goods may also increase as a rise in the cost of food can lead to increases in other areas of society due to the ripple effect. As such, stock up on food items as much as possible and be prepared to pay more and see even less of your favorite foods at the market and in the grocery.

Now we all know that once there is dry season there are water shortages, but these shortages are usually short term and tanks don’t often run dry. During a drought, there are often extended periods whereby a pipe borne water supply would be severely curtailed. Tanks may run dry and persons may be required to depend upon truck borne water supply. As such, to ensure the water lasts as long as possible, we would need to cut back on activities that waste water such as watering plants, washing cars and even flushing toilet after every use.

Additionally, it would benefit to have or purchase tanks or barrels to store water and to fix any leaks or faults in your plumbing to ensure no water is used unnecessarily.

Lastly, and this one is expected, droughts usually bring with it an increase in heat which can lead to dehydration and heat stroke. So remain indoors as much as possible and stay hydrated because the effects of dehydration plentiful and can lead to hospitalization or even death.

Thankfully the end of the dry season is near, so the drought should not last much longer before we get rain to refill a reservoir supply.

Now that you understand how catastrophic a drought can be and steps to survive it tell us what are you planning to do to ensure that you minimize the effects of the drought in your life.