Drought

The Lower Platte South Natural Resources District issued a complete fire ban on all Wildlife Management Areas due to severe drought. Effective immediately, all outdoor burning activities, including but not limited to campfires, bonfires, and cooking fires, are prohibited. KLIN (Lincoln, Neb.), Oct 11, 2024

After a third wildfire was found in the Superior National Forest, a campfire ban was expanded to cover the entire forest. The Minnesota Star Tribune (Minneapolis), Oct 11, 2024

Grain yields in southeastern Ohio were significantly affected by drought conditions, especially the soybeans. The quality has been adversely affected. Some soybean pods have broken open and spilled seeds onto the ground. Elsewhere, pods have cracked open, allowing moisture to get inside and cause the seeds to sprout. Cleveland.com (Ohio), Oct 10, 2024

Some apple orchards and farms in central Ohio where the public can pick their own apples were closing earlier than usual after drought reduced apple production or led to early picking. Some of the apples were smaller than usual from having inadequate water. The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio), Oct 9, 2024

Sunflowers at a farm near Cassville suffered from the lack of rain and only reached two to three feet in height. The farm usually stays open in the fall until the first frost or until Halloween, but drought prompted the farm owner to close early as weeds grew better than some other things. OzarksFirst (Springfield, Mo.), Oct 8, 2024

Part of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area was closed due to a wildfire. The Sioux Hustler Trail loop and campsites on Agawato Lake and Shell Lake were included in the closure order. Much of northern Minnesota was affected by drought, and several human-caused wildfires have burned recently. 979WEVE (Hibbing, Minn.), Oct 9, 2024

After the driest September on record in Iowa, plenty of soybeans and corn have been harvested. Forty-six counties have enacted burn bans as the dry conditions increase the fire risk. Several combine and equipment fires were reported. Iowa Capital Dispatch (Des Moines), Oct 7, 2024

The drought has affected West Virginia’s deer. The deer’s food sources have been limited, so they may not all be getting adequate nutrition. Some deer may be smaller or have underdeveloped antlers this season. Deer may be thinner than usual, especially the females that have been producing milk for their young. Drought can also make disease outbreaks more likely. Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) is a disease that sometimes occurs in drought conditions. Instances of it have already been confirmed in three counties in north-central West Virginia. WV News (Clarksburg, W.V.), Oct 8, 2024

The Silver Mountain Fire burned 25 acres after sparking on October 3. The southwestern part of South Dakota was dry, and there was no precipitation in the forecast for the next two weeks, so the public was advised to avoid activities like smoking outside, starting campfires and shooting firearms when it’s dry and windy. KOTA-TV ABC 3 (Rapid City, S.D.), Oct 7, 2024

Enon’s 44th annual Apple Butter Festival will take place on October 12 and 13. Due to the drought conditions, open fires are not permitted. So, the apple butter will be cooked over propane burners instead of over open fires as is traditionally done at the festival. Springfield News-Sun (Ohio), Oct 8, 2024

The Nebraska Game and Parks implemented a temporary ban on campfires at all Nebraska state park areas and wildlife management areas until further notice due to the dry conditions. Camp stoves using liquid or gas fuel were allowed. News Channel Nebraska (Grand Island), Oct 4, 2024

Wildfires driven by extremely strong winds in drought-affected areas of western North Dakota burned large areas of oil fields, agricultural land, grassland and Badlands terrain. One person died and more than 100 people had to evacuate. The Elkhorn Fire near Grassy Butte charred 44 square miles and was 20% contained. The Bear Den Fire near Mandaree blackened 18 square miles and was zero percent contained. Downed power lines sparked some of the fires. The North Dakota Forest Service responded to 33 fires that burned 77 square miles over the weekend. That count does not include the massive Ray-, Tioga- and Alamo-area fires that grew into one huge conflagration. Livestock were lost in the fires, but it was not yet clear how many. The Associated Press, Oct 7, 2024

Grasslands were dry in Custer State Park, increasing the fire danger and depleting water supplies. Park officials monitor forage conditions very carefully to make sure there is enough and move the buffalo as needed to avoid the grass getting too thin. KOTA-TV ABC 3 (Rapid City, S.D.), Sept 27, 2024

Kentucky’s Level 1 Drought Declarations for all counties was lifted due to rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Helene. WNKY-TV (Bowling Green, Ky.), Oct 3, 2024 The Office of the State Climatologist and the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, in coordination with the Kentucky Drought Mitigation Team, have issued a Level 1 Drought Declaration for the commonwealth. The parts of the state most affected are portions of Western and Central Kentucky and parts of the Bluegrass region. TristateHomepage.com (Evansville, Ind.), Sept 23, 2024

A number of counties in northwest Arkansas have burn bans as drought affects the region. The five counties were Carroll, Johnson, Logan, Madison and Yell. KNWA-TV (Fayetteville, Ark.), Oct 2, 2024

A Hays County judge enacted a burn ban for the county on September 27 at the recommendation of the fire marshal due to drought. MySA (San Antonio, Texas), Sept 30, 2024

Fires and campfires within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness were restricted as of Tuesday, October 1 due to dry conditions. Visitors to the BWCAW may not ignite, build, maintain, attend or use a fire or campfire in an effort to lower the chances of a wildfire. KARE 11 (Minneapolis, Minn.), Sept 30, 2024

Water conservation was urged in New Hampshire since flash drought had developed. WMUR-TV ABC 9 (Manchester, N.H.), Sept 27, 2024

Nebraska City has a burn ban in effect until there is significant rainfall. The fire chief stated that it is too dry to issue burn permits. News Channel Nebraska (Grand Island), Sept 27, 2024

At Cheat Lake, marinas were mostly empty, and stranded boats dotted the muddy lakebed as water levels dipped too low for the boats to be moved. The Dominion Post (Morgantown, W.V.), Sept 24, 2024