This is what the drought of the century looks like

The NASA photographs in this jarring GIF show how the California drought has affected Folsom Lake in just three years. Last month Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in the region, and President Obama has pledged $183 million for drought relief programs.

B. Lynn Ingram, a professor of earth and planetary sciences at the University of California, Berkeley told The New York Times, "We are on track for having the worst drought in 500 years."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up