JOHNSTON, IOWA (November 2, 2021) — Between 2011 and 2014, a drought slowly squeezed moisture, and opportunity, from the Iowa landscape. In 2018, rain showers slowed to a trickle in the state, resulting in a record-setting drought that continues today. Iowa's Wild Weather: Drought, a new project from Iowa PBS, examines the causes of and responses to the increasing frequency and intensity of droughts in the Midwest. It debuts Wednesday, November 24, 7PM.
Unlike other natural disasters, droughts move slowly, sometimes taking years to take hold and even longer to recede. During that time, they can leave behind long-lasting impacts that have devastating effects on farms and rural communities. Iowa's Wild Weather: Drought examines the struggles Iowans face as drought conditions dry up rural life and the opportunities that go along with it. The program also examines the history of drought in Iowa, what is being done to protect Iowa's landscape and how climate change continues to increase the pressure on the state's environment.
On November 9, 7PM, viewers have an opportunity to join Iowa PBS virtually for a screening of Iowa's Wild Weather: Drought. Attendees will be able to watch the full program online and join a discussion with Iowa PBS Producer and Director John Torpy and Dr Justin Gilsan, state climatologist with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Visit iowapbs.org/events for more information.
Iowa's Wild Weather: Drought is the first in a multipart series from Iowa PBS. Future episodes include Flooding and Severe Weather, both scheduled to debut in 2022. Support for Iowa's Wild Weather is provided by the Gilchrist Foundation and the Small and Cousins Charitable Foundation.
In addition to its statewide broadcast, Iowa PBS .1 is available to livestream on iowapbs.org/watch, pbs.org/livestream, the PBS Video App, and YouTube TV. Iowa PBS programs, behind-the-scenes extras and more can be enjoyed on iowapbs.org, Facebook, and YouTube. Viewers can also stream their favorite shows on demand using the PBS Video App, available on iOS, Android, and many streaming devices.
As Iowa's only statewide television network, Iowa PBS's mission to educate, inform, enrich, and inspire Iowans guides its quality, non-commercial programming that tells Iowa's stories like no one else can. Four statewide, public channels offer programs of lasting value to Iowans, regardless of where they live or what they can afford: Iowa PBS .1, Iowa PBS KIDS .2, Iowa PBS WORLD .3 and Iowa PBS Create .4 on Channel 11, Des Moines; Channel 12, Iowa City; Channel 21, Fort Dodge; Channel 24, Mason City; Channel 27, Sioux City; Channel 32, Waterloo; Channel 32, Council Bluffs; Channel 36, Davenport; and Channel 36, Red Oak. More information can be found at iowapbs.org.
