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Management Agency, 1995). The worst drought in recent <br />history occurred in 1987-1989, and the NCDC reports the <br />estimated cost as $40 billion (National Drought Mitigation <br />Center, 1998). <br />In Indian River County, the primary sources of water are deep <br />wells for utility systems and shallow wells for rural areas. <br />Excess water from an interconnected series of lakes, rivers, <br />canals and marshes flows either north to the St. Johns River or <br />east to the Indian River Lagoon. When this cycle is disrupted <br />by periods of drought, one of the potentially most damaging <br />effects is substantial crop loss in the western agricultural areas <br />of the county. In addition to obvious losses in yields in both <br />crop and livestock production, drought in Indian River County <br />is associated with increases in insect infestations, plant <br />disease, and wind erosion. The incidence of forest fires <br />increases substantially during extended droughts, which in turn <br />places both human and wildlife populations at higher levels of <br />risk. <br />The St. Johns River Water Management District and County <br />staff manage the county's water resources. Complementing <br />the District's water management efforts during periods of <br />critical water shortage, a countywide, uniform, forceful, <br />contingency plan is in place to effectively restrict the use of <br />water. <br />Pandemic Outbreak/Epidemic <br />Infectious diseases emerging throughout history have included <br />some of the most feared plagues of the past. New infections <br />continue to emerge today, while many of the old plagues are <br />still with us. As demonstrated by influenza epidemics, under <br />suitable circumstances, a new infection first appearing <br />anywhere in the world could travel across entire continents <br />within days or weeks (Morse, 1996). Due to the potential of <br />complex health and medical conditions that can threaten the <br />general population, Florida's vulnerability to an epidemic is <br />continually being monitored. With millions of tourists arriving <br />and departing the state annually, disease and disease <br />exposure (airborne, vector, and ingestion) are constantly <br />evaluated and analyzed (Florida Department of Community <br />Affairs, 1998). <br />Indian River County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Basic Page 24 <br />