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Extreme flooding, drought across the U.S.

(CNN) - "From June all the way to now I think we had probably one rainstorm that I can remember."

Milan Adams, a Rhode Island farmer, is feeling the effects of extreme drought conditions across New England.

"My fields now are completely burnt. Probably only about four, five inches tall when normally they're a foot, foot and a half."

In the West, the region is experiencing what scientists say is the worst drought in centuries.

"We have this climate crisis that is affecting water in the west and these reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead have gotten to what are now historic, historically low levels," Arizona Senator Mark Kelly spoke.

The drought is drying up the Colorado River system, and the Biden administration says all the states that rely on this critical resource must reduce their water use to avoid a "catastrophic collapse."

And now, more than four million Southern Californians are asked to cut outdoor watering for 15 days next month as officials work to repair a leaky pipeline from the Colorado River.

Taking things a step further, some cities in California pay residents up to six dollars per square foot of lawn removed.

"A lot of people feel like what can my little piece of grass in the back yard, side yard, how can that help such a huge area of Southern California. Every drop helps. Every drop of water we save today is a drop for the future," Water Efficiency Manager Bill McDonnel explains.

Across the Southwest this weekend, heavy rain and flash flooding happened in Utah's Zion National Park as Search & Rescue search for a missing person on Saturday.

Rangers say hikers were being swept off their feet by flash flooding in the Virgin River, and in the Southern Plains on Sunday, more than nine million people remain under flood watches.

Article Topic Follows: CNN - national

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Arlette Yousif

Arlette Yousif joined KYMA in November 2020 as a Multi Media Journalist. She holds a BA in Journalism with a minor in Film.

You can reach out to Arlette for at arlette.yousif@kecytv.com.

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Dillon Fuhrman

If you have any story ideas, reach out to him at dillon.fuhrman@kecytv.com.

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