WASHINGTON, July 12 (UPI) -- Fourteen states from Florida to Arizona are feeling the effects of a drought while other states have reeled from floods and tornadoes, U.S. officials say.
Meteorologists say the reason for the drought can be tied to the La Nina weather phenomenon that shut off the normal southern pipeline of moisture, The New York Times reported Monday.
Climatologists say the drought is starting to resemble one that hit the nation in the early to mid-1950s that also parched a broad sweep of the southern tier of states and remains a record breaker.
The drought has been extra hot and started extra early, starting in 2010 and lasting through the winter.
In Texas, the worst-hit state, the five months from this February to June were so dry they shattered a record set in 1917, acting state climatologist Don Conlee said.
Some non-weather-related factors could worsen the impact of this year's drought, experts say.
In states and towns short on cash where unemployment remains high, political and economic forces are amplifying the effects of the drought, officials say.
