Physical water scarcity is most often caused by drought. A drought occurs when it rains far less in a given area than it usually does, creating shortages in water supply. Droughts can be declared after as little as 15 days without rainfall and can continue indefinitely. The longest drought in recorded history lasted for 400 years in the Atacama Desert in Chile. However, most modern droughts are not nearly so severe. In the United States, the National Drought Mitigation Center finds only the panhandle of Oklahoma and northern Georgia experiencing ‘extreme drought'. California experienced severe drought between 2012 to 2017, while Florida experienced severe drought between 2006-2007, and again in 2017. Droughts are considered severe when water shortages become common and extreme when major crop loss occurs. Globally, the Center shows that there is ‘extreme drought' in the Middle East and eastern Australia and ‘severe drought' in parts of northern Africa.
Droughts are a natural process that have occurred throughout history. The effects of prolonged drought often depend on both severity and how people react to them. Sometimes, like in California, drought can simply lead to a change of what is easily available for purchase in grocery stores.

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