BACKGROUND: California is in its fifth year of the most severe drought in its recorded history. In 2014, the governor proclaimed a state of emergency and convened interagency Drought and Tree Mortality Task Forces to address environmental, economic, and health effects of water shortages. In Mariposa County, a forested and rural county, drought has depleted surface and ground water and caused tree deaths, resulting in economic losses. We assessed drought-associated effects concerning property and chronic disease exacerbation to guide response and recovery efforts.
METHODS: In October 2016, we used the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) methodology to conduct household surveys. CASPER is a 2-stage cluster sampling with probability of selection proportional to the number of housing units. Our goal was to interview 210 of Mariposa County’s 7,693 housing units. Frequencies and confidence intervals (CIs) were weighted to account for the sampling design.
RESULTS: Of 189 surveyed households, 67% (95% CI: 50%–74%) reported dead or dying trees on their property, and 19% (95% CI: 12%–27%) reported drought had negatively affected their finances. Twenty-one percent (95% CI: 14%–28%) reported decreased well water production during the past year, and 20% (95% CI: 11%–30%) reported problems with the quality of their tap water. Fifteen percent (95% CI: 8%–22%) reported a worsening of ≥1 chronic health condition because of drought, most commonly asthma, allergies, and hypertension.
CONCLUSIONS: Drought is a complex, prolonged disaster that can exacerbate chronic diseases and result in negative economic effects from property damage, particularly tree mortality. Mariposa County might consider facilitating tree removal and well assistance and expanding health services to drought-affected persons.