Catastrophic Drought in Texas Causes Global Economic Ripples

The drought map shows a number of worringly dry areas around the globe, but the largest area of catastrophic drought centers on Texas. It's an angry red swath on the map, signifying what has been the driest year in the state's history.

At the moment, 70 percent of Texas is experiencing "exceptional drought"—the worst classification—along with 55 percent of Oklahoma and significant chunks of Louisiana, New Mexico and Kansas.

Because it covers a huge and economically significant area, the Southwestern drought is having effects across the United States and even internationally, particularly in the food and agriculture sectors.