Drought affects more than the amount of water you use at home. Severe drought has other, often serious, consequences.

During a drought, plants die or wither. The land becomes parched. Under these conditions, fires can easily be started by lightning or careless people. If there's a drought in your area, avoid making campfires. Be extra careful when you barbecue. And don't ever throw lighted matches or cigarettes or cigars on the ground. The smallest spark can start an enormous, raging fire that may burn many miles of forest, grassland, or even whole towns. To make matters worse, there may not be enough water available to put out fires. So be smart—don't do anything that might spark a fire.

Drought may affect food-growing regions of the country. Certain types of foods may be unavailable. If this happens, talk to your doctor about alternative foods you can eat to stay healthy or about vitamins you can take to get the nutrients you need. It's also a good idea to avoid salty foods during a drought. Salt takes water out of your body, so you become thirsty more often and must drink more water.

Finally, drought may affect electricity generation. Hydroelectric power plants, especially, need abundant water to generate electricity. Other types of power plants, even coal-burning power plants, use water during some part of the process in generating electricity as well. Limit the amount of electricity you use during a drought.