Summer has started with a vengeance in the United States. Dry weather has some areas suffering the worst droughts in living memory and has state and county authorities scrambling to try to avert potential disaster.

Current weather patterns reminiscent of the great dustbowl of the 1930s have many climatologists raising warning flags. “The 1930s drought lasted less than a decade. This is something that could remain for 100 years,” said Richard Seager, lead researcher of a report published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (noaa).

The current drought has hit southwestern states hard, with California receiving less rainfall over the past year than at any time since 1924. Los Angeles has received less than 4 inches of rain since July 1 last year, leaving the city’s water table nearly 12 inches below normal.

The crisis has been compounded in the West by low snowpacks in the Sierra Nevada range, the critical moutain range that provides water to population centers from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Weather recordings show that the range received only 27 percent of its average snowfalls in an abnormally dry winter.

The picture is similarly bleak on the other side of the nation. Drought conditions plague states from Florida to Kentucky, with parts of Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee all experiencing extreme dryness. “It’s one of the worst droughts in living memory in the Southeast at this point,” says Doug LeComte, a drought specialist with the noaa.

Drought even grips Georgia, a state recognized for its lush forests, humid weather, and melon and peach crops. As the state emerges from its driest spring on record, following a demoralizing frost, farmers fear losses of anywhere from half to two thirds of fruit crops.

Furthermore, the continuous dry weather in the East has led to county and state governments creating severe restrictions on public water use. In Atlanta, outside water use during the week is banned; one suburban county is issuing fines up to $1,000 and even jail terms for second-time violators.

The ramifications of these droughts are numerous and, if they persist, potentially disastrous on a national scale. California and Florida, for example, are two of America’s largest agricultural producers. Unending droughts in these states will likely drive up food costs nationwide.

As state and local governments scramble to supply their citizens and industries with water, some are resorting to declaring days of prayer as a last-ditch effort.

Crying out to God in prayer for rain is a worthy gesture; after all, God can certainly supply much-needed rain. But the Bible teaches that people need to do more than simply pray for rain as a last resort. They need to recognize the current droughts as curses from God for disobedience. God will send rain on drought-inflicted regions, but only when heartfelt prayer is accompanied by repentance and obedience.