Earnest would obviously know much more about it than me, but living in an arid climate myself, I have a couple observations
Drought recovery is gauged in reservoir capacity vegetation health and soil moisture levels and not by seasonal flooding, which is actually a common problem in drought stricken areas. (Because excessively dry soil doesn't hold onto the water like it should)
In a similar vein, measuring agricultural output in dollars, is not necessarily accurate, as high food prices typically go hand in hand with drought. (If there is another way to reconcile the apparent contradiction between the two articles, I'm not sure what it would be.)