Nova Scotia drought unusual, catches people unprepared

The severe drought affecting parts of Nova Scotia may be causing more trouble than it would elsewhere in Canada because Nova Scotians aren't used to drought conditions.

For more than a month now, people in the southwest have reporteddry wellsand throughout the province, rivers and lakes are low.Local governments have offered drinking water and places to bathe whileecologists areworriedabout fish and other species.

• Environment Canada says Nova Scotia dry spell not 'a one-off'
• How some people are coping with the drought in southwestern Nova Scotia

The severe drought, as it's classified,is unusualin this part of Canada said agriclimate specialist Trevor Hadwen. He said generally these types of dry conditions happen a lot more frequently and more severely in other parts of the country.

'They prepare for it'

Hadwen leads the Canadian Drought Monitor, Agriculture Canada's contribution to a continent wide tracking program of drought conditions.

Right now, his program is watching Nova Scotia's struggles carefully. It's one of three provinces experiencing a drought, the othersare Ontario and British Columbia, he said.

"Typically in the prairie region, farmers and residents in rural areas are used to dealing with these circumstances, so they prepare for it," Hadwen said.

"In situations where we have drought in Atlantic Canada, there aren't the same systems in place and people aren't as familiar with managing through drought situations, so the impacts can be fairly severe."

'Rare situation'

YarmouthCounty for instance, experienced its driest summer since1880, said CBC meteorologist Kalin Mitchell.

The low water levels evenforced some homeowners to dig deeper wells.

"It's a rare situation for sure," he said.

Help drought response

Hadwen encourages farmers and homeowners to contact Drought Watch to report the impacts of drought. The program collects reports from people all across Canada, but historically, have collected few reportsfromNova Scotia.

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"To know the actual impacts on the ground and how that is affecting the producers or people is extremely important for us, in terms of putting together programs and responses to that drought,"Hadwensaid.