Drought

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture cautioned farmers to take measures to prevent hot farm equipment from starting field fires as dry conditions affected much of the state. Journal Gazette.net (Ind.), Sept. 28, 2019

The Ohio Department of Forestry banned burning in rural areas between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Recreational fires and bonfires must not be larger than three feet in diameter or two feet tall. Dayton Daily News (Ohio), Sept. 27, 2019

North Carolina farmers cannot plant winter wheat because the soil is too dry, according to an applied climatologist with the State Climate Office in Raleigh. The same was true in Forsyth, Stokes and Surry counties. The blooms on soybeans did not fill out, and the beans were small. There was not much grass, and livestock producers were likely feeding hay. Winston Salem Journal (N.C.), Sept. 30, 2019

Trees in parts of southwest Virginia dropped brown leaves early as drought stressed the trees. Lynchburg News & Advance (Va.), Sept. 29, 2019

Lawrence County Commissioners announced a burn ban for the county, due to widespread drought conditions. Bedford Times-Mail (Ind.), Sept. 25, 2019

Cattle prices were down in Texas as the state beef herd hit an eight-year high of 4.65 million and drought caused producers to cull cattle earlier and deeper than usual, among other factors. The Bryan-College Station Eagle (Texas), Sept. 25, 2019

Intensifying drought conditions led to numerous burn bans in southern Indiana, meaning that traditional fall bonfires and other outdoor fires were prohibited. Louisville Courier-Journal (Ky.), Sept. 28, 2019

One hundred counties in Kentucky had bans on outdoor burning, due to drought. Louisville Courier-Journal (Ky.), Sept. 30, 2019 As drought persisted in Kentucky, 71 counties banned open burning to reduce the likelihood of wildfires. WKMS-FM 91.3 News for the Four Rivers Region (Murray, Ky.), Sept. 23, 2019 More than 50 Kentucky counties have restrictions on outdoor burning as the lack of rain increased the forest fire danger. WKYT-TV CBS 27 Lexington (Ky.), Sept. 18, 2019 Several Kentucky counties enacted bans on outdoor burning as moderate drought conditions and an uptick in forest fires warranted the fire restrictions. Officials in Jackson County issued a ban on Sept. 15. Bans were enacted in Floyd, Johnson, Knox, Laurel, Lee, Lincoln, Magoffin, Pike and Whitley counties on Sept. 16. A ban took effect in Barren County on Sept. 17. The bans will be rescinded when the fire danger abates. Bowling Green Daily News (Ky.), Sept. 17, 2019

Dry conditions during the growing season left soybeans smaller than usual in Darke County and Clark County, where yields were as low as 30 bushels per acre. Better yields are often in the 60 to 70 bushels per acre range. It was too late for rain to help crops. Dayton Daily News (Ohio), Sept. 24, 2019

Water supplies for livestock in Mason County have gone dry, so the cattle cannot get as much water as they need, preventing them from gaining weight. WCHS-TV ABC 8 (Charleston, W.V.), Sept. 26, 2019

With pastures depleted in Lauderdale County, farmers were feeding livestock hay. Dry soil has prevented the planting of rye grass, used as a winter forage. WTOK-TV Channel 11 (Meridian, Miss.), Sept. 27, 2019

An increase in wildland and brush fires in the Columbiana area has stressed volunteer fire departments. WAFF-TV NBC 48 Huntsville (Ala.), Sept. 26, 2019

Officials at the Emergency Operations Center in Bay County were concerned about the increasingly dry conditions, fire danger and the debris left behind from Hurricane Michael. The fire battalion chief urged the public to be very careful when burning materials outdoors. My Panhandle (Panama City, Fla.), Sept. 20, 2019

A burn ban began Sept. 25 for Land Between the Lakes in Tennessee and Kentucky as the area endured high fire danger, due to drought. WVVR-FM 100.3 Beaver (Clarksville, Tenn.), Sept. 25, 2019

Officials for the Daniel Boone National Forest issued an emergency order prohibiting the use of fire on national forest lands effective Sept. 27. WVLK-AM 590 News Talk (Lexington, Ky.), Sept. 27, 2019

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service enacted several fire restrictions as dry weather hastens the fall fire season. Counties in Division A in the northern part of the state are in high fire danger and must abide by Stage 1 fire restrictions, effective Sept. 27. Restrictions switch to Stage 2 restrictions on Sept. 30. The state is also burdened with a relatively heavy fuel load after two years of ample rain. New Jersey Herald (Newton, N.J.), Sept. 26, 2019

Fire crews in the Hamilton County area were adapting to drought conditions by having different crews responding to different types of fires. WRCB-TV NBC 3 Chattanooga (Tenn.), Sept. 24, 2019

Leaves were already falling in Cincinnati, and experts blame the early leaf drop on heat and drought. Typical autumn leaf drop is triggered by shortened days and ought to begin in October, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Cincinnati Enquirer & Cincinnati.com (Ohio), Sept. 25, 2019

The Georgetown Municipal Water and Sewer Service issued a Stage I Advisory and requested voluntary water conservation. Royal Spring can be drawn upon for about two hours, but then needed two hours to recover before pumping could resume. Georgetown also gets water from the Kentucky River, but water quality has led to taste and odor issues. News-Graphic.com (Georgetown, Ky.), Sept. 26, 2019

The Roanoke City Council decided that it was time to stress the importance of water conservation, given the drought. Randolph Leader (Ala.), Sept. 25, 2019