Drought

Charleston homeowners have seen more insects indoors this summer as the pests seek food and water. WSAZ-TV NBC 3 (Huntington, W.V.), Aug 13, 2024

Residents in the vicinity of Newton were asked to be very careful with outdoor burning, due to the low humidity and dry conditions. There was not a burn ban in effect yet. KJAS.com (Jasper, Texas), Aug 12, 2024

Fire activity was rising in southwest Mississippi as the fire season neared and the weather stayed hot and dry. Since August 1, the Mississippi Forestry Commission has responded to 37 wildfires that burned 695 acres. The MFC began wildfire detection flights due to the intense heat and dry conditions, stated the MFC fire chief. Wildfire activity usually begins to increase in August through November. Normally, Mississippi’s fire season is from October to April. The Daily Leader (Brookhaven, Miss.), Aug 12, 2024

A Level 1-Mild Drought was declared for the Western Region of Massachusetts by the Energy and Environmental Affairs secretary. According to the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan, a Level 1-Mild Drought indicates the onset of a drought and requires detailed monitoring of drought conditions, close coordination among state and federal agencies, and technical outreach and assistance to the affected municipalities. Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, July 15, 2024 After several weeks of rainfall, Energy and Environmental Affairs secretary declared the Western Region to be downgraded from Level 1-Mild Drought to Level 0-Normal conditions. Mass.gov Energy and Environmental Affairs (Boston), Aug 13, 2024

A burn ban was requested for Adams County due to the dry weather and the spate of grass fires. Work crews have been clear cutting Pelahatchie Shore Park, removing the dead pine trees that were killed by pine beetles amid drought in 2023. The Pearl River Valley Water Supply District has already spent more than $300,000 clearing the dead trees. The downed trees offer plenty of fuel to burn, but it is hoped that the public will be cautious and avoid additional fires. WAPT Channel 16 Online (Jackson, Miss.), Aug 12, 2024

Some blackberries and tomatoes on a Gaston County farm shriveled amid drought and intense heat, despite being irrigated. The Charlotte Observer (N.C.), Aug 12, 2024

The fishing closure in Shenandoah National Park was lifted on August 12 after Hurricane Debby brought 4 to 8 inches of rain to the park. WJLA (Arlington, Va.), Aug 12, 2024 All rivers and streams in Shenandoah National Park were closed to fishing due to low flows and high water temperatures. Some sections of rivers were completely dry. The closure will end when stream conditions improve. WJLA (Arlington, Va.), June 28, 2024

Green County corn was too far gone to benefit from any rain. The corn in Yadkin County was not even shoulder high and did not produce ears, for the most part. The ears that did appear did not have any kernels. The county field crops extension agent thought that the yield may be less than half of normal. The Robesonian (Lumberton, N.C.), Aug 9, 2024

Ninety-eight water users on the Methow River have not been able to draw water from the river to irrigate their fields since July 22 because the Methow River has been below minimum flows. Those junior water users have to call a hotline before watering, and conditions were not likely to change until October, according to the state Department of Ecology’s watermaster for Okanogan, Chelan and Douglas counties. State law gives priority to the river over irrigation rights established after 1976, when the instream rule was set. Methow Valley News (Twisp, Wash.), Aug 9, 2024

A Pickaway County farmer expects that his corn yield will be about half of normal for lack of rain. The soybeans were stunted. Since the start of June, parts of Pickaway County have received a little more than three inches of rain, which is more than six inches below average. WCMH-TV NBC 4 Columbus (Ohio), Aug 5, 2024

Pumpkins in Randolph County were either growing too quickly and were about a month and a half ahead of schedule or were slow growing. The early pumpkins were smaller than usual. WBOY-TV Clarksburg (W.V.), Aug 8, 2024

Many farmers in the Harrisonburg area were expecting about half of a normal harvest, due to the lack of rain. WHSV (Harrisonburg, Va.), Aug 9, 2024

Residents and businesses in Gaithersburg and Rockville were urged to voluntarily conserve water because the area was part of the regional drought watch issued by the Drought Coordination Committee of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The MoCo Show (Rockville, Md.), Aug 2, 2024

Some trees in the Lexington area were already turning from green to yellow. LEX 18 (Lexington, Ky.), Aug 2, 2024

A Fayetteville golf course uses water from its ponds to irrigate the greens. Pond levels were dropping, but none were dry yet. Rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby may bring pond levels up a few inches. WOAY-TV (Oak Hill, W.V.), Aug 6, 2024

The McLennan County Commissioners Court on Aug. 6 approved a 90-day burn ban for unincorporated parts of the county. The ban may end early if warranted. Local landowners and citizens were concerned about the dry conditions and asked the court to be proactive to prevent brush fires. KWTX TV 10 (Waco, Texas), Aug 6, 2024

The City of Clyde entered a stage three water emergency on August 1 because the level of Clyde Lake continued to fall. The city manager said that the lake held enough water for about one year. Given some of the residents’ time and money invested in their yards, they were frustrated with the stage 3 response, which allows lawn watering once every two weeks. KTXS-TV 12 Abilene (Texas), Aug 2, 2024

Arkansas City commissioners approved a stage one water watch and encouraged the public to voluntarily conserve water. The reasons for the water watch were the time of year, the lack of rain, and the high water demand for lawn watering. Cowley Courier Traveler (Winfield, Kan.), Aug 7, 2024

The Portsmouth and Pease municipal water systems continue to experience high demand due to irrigation and cooling system usage. In the last month, the combined water systems have averaged 5.4 million gallons a day. City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Aug 5, 2024

Lawn care companies in Wichita have been receiving telephone calls from homeowners seeking help with resetting the timers for their sprinkler systems. They have also been asked to inspect irrigation systems to make sure that there were no leaks. KSN-TV (Wichita, Kan.), Aug 5, 2024