Drought

Soil moisture levels in Southeast Texas were adequate to very short. Most of the counties implemented burn bans due to extremely dry conditions. Conditions were hot and dry, but there were chances of rainfall in the forecast for some areas. Planting winter forages like ryegrass and oats was delayed due to drought conditions. The lack of winter grazing may cause an increased demand for hay this winter. Pastures were getting dry, and the pond levels were dropping. Rangeland and pasture ratings varied from fair to very poor. The cotton harvest was wrapping up. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Oct 29, 2024 Drought conditions continued in Southeast Texas, and burn bans were initiated. Cotton harvest continued and was nearing completion in some counties. Pastures and available forage continued to decline. Soil moisture levels throughout the district were very short to adequate to very short. The first crop rice harvest was wrapping up. A cold front with lower humidity levels was in the forecast, raising concerns for wildfires. Rangeland and pasture ratings varied from poor to fair. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Oct 16, 2024 Some areas of Southeast Texas received showers, but many counties experienced a lack of rain, leading to increased drought conditions and signs of stress in pastures. Available forages for grazing were limited and some pastures looked overgrazed. Some teal ducks were spotted over rice fields. The last round of summer forage harvest continued. Most cotton was defoliated in preparation for harvest, while cotton harvest wrapped in some areas with yields averaging 3 bales per acre. Rice harvest progressed, but the last rice was not maturing as quickly as farmers would like. Some organic and late-planted conventional rice remained unharvested. The corn harvest was complete, with one county reporting yields over 140 bushels per acre. Most pastures, ponds and cattle were still in good shape. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Oct 1, 2024 Parts of Southeast Texas experienced drought and excessive temperatures. Soil moisture levels ranged from very short to adequate. Montgomery, Hardin and San Jacinto counties received some moisture, which benefited growing conditions in forage production around the district. Corn and sorghum harvests were complete, and cotton harvest neared completion. Rangeland and pastures were poor to excellent. Ryegrass was planted, but pastures were showing signs of drought stress. There were reports of fall armyworm damage. Some hay producers started a third cutting, and there was an abundance of round bales and standing pasture for winter. The rice harvest was delayed due to rain and a bottleneck at the commercial dryers but restarted later in the week. AgriLife Today (College Station, Texas), Sept 17, 2024

Victoria entered stage II of its drought contingency plan after the Guadalupe River flow fell to 150 cubic feet per second. Under stage II restrictions, the city can no longer pump water from the river. Voluntary water conservation was encouraged. Crossroads Today (Victoria, Texas), Oct 29, 2024

Hackensack’s Office of Emergency Management issued an “Extreme Wildfire Risk” which bans all outdoor fires, except those in propane, gas or electric stoves. Wood and charcoal fires and fireworks were prohibited. The area was very dry and has gone 25 days without rain. TAPinto Hackensack (N.J.), Oct 30, 2024

Columbia County officials declared a State of Emergency effective at 5:00 PM on October 30, 2024, in response to severe drought conditions that pose a threat to public safety. This emergency status will remain in effect for up to 30 days. WRGB Online (Schenectady, N.Y.), Oct 30, 2024

The Alabama Forestry Commission issued a Fire Danger Advisory for all counties. In the last 30 days, 246 wildfires burned almost 3,000 acres. Outdoor burning was discouraged. “Dead pine trees from last year’s drought and the resulting southern pine beetle outbreak this year are contributing to fire intensity, which challenges containment efforts and presents additional hazards to firefighters,” said AFC Fire Analyst Ethan Barrett in a previous release. “This weather pattern featuring above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation is predicted for the next few weeks, allowing for worsening drought impacts and a likely increase in wildfires until more frequent rain returns.” AL.com (Birmingham, Ala.), Oct 30, 2024

Water from the Monksville Reservoir was being sent by the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission to the Wanaque Reservoir due to the lack of rainfall. The level of Monksville Reservoir will drop six feet or more, so boaters ought to be careful of underwater hazards. The West Milford Messenger (N.J.), Oct 30, 2024

The Indiana County Municipal Services Authority asked its customers to voluntarily curb non-essential water use. Officials said that the area was on the verge of a drought watch with no significant rain in the forecast. The Blairsville Municipal Authority still has a mandatory water conservation effort in effect. WCCS-AM (Indiana, Pa.), Oct 30, 2024

A fire in the Mark Twain National Forest scorched more than 1,500 acres. A fire chief in Eureka advised the public not to burn anything outside, given the dry conditions. Conditions were too dry to carry out controlled burns that would normally take place at this time of year, according to an employee with Missouri Botanical Garden’s Shaw Nature Reserve. KMOV First Alert 4 (St. Louis, Mo.), Oct 29, 2024

Aqua asked its water customers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey to voluntarily conserve water as drought continued. WPVI-TV ABC 6 Philadelphia (Pa.), Oct 29, 2024

Four active wildfires continued to burn across Connecticut, but it was unclear when they might be contained. The four fires were at Berlin's Lamentation Mountain, Canaan's Cobble Road, Oxford's Naugatuck State Forest, and Voluntown's Pachaug State Forest. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection agency was stretched thin fighting so many brush fires statewide. The News-Times (Norwalk, Ct.), Oct 30, 2024 In the past week, Connecticut firefighters have contained 40 fires, about a dozen of which were more than an acre in size, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Four active fires were being monitored in Berlin, Canaan, Oxford and Voluntown. The largest blaze, the brush fire in Berlin on Lamentation Mountain, has charred 120 to 130 acres. “Our state is a tinderbox,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “Everything is incredibly flammable. Anytime a dry leaf falls, it’s fuel for flames. … What we need is rain.” CT Insider (Norwalk, Ct.), Oct 29, 2024

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources was urging residents to be especially careful when burning outdoors due to an elevated fire risk. Recent dry weather, combined with warm, sunny days with low humidity have increased the fire danger. Saucon Source (Hellertown, Pa.), Oct 29, 2024

Steeplechase of Charleston was cancelled due to ongoing drought. The ground is too hard and dry and lacks suitable turf, making conditions very dangerous for jockeys and the horses. WCIV ABC 4 (Mount Pleasant, S.C.), Oct 29, 2024

The Beaumont area has had many water main breaks due to the very dry soil. The number of water leaks was also very high in 2023 during drought. KFDM Channel 6 (Beaumont, Texas), Oct 29, 2024

Gov. Mike Parson signed an executive order on Oct. 29 declaring a drought alert in the state. The alert will remain in effect through March 31, 2025. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources will activate the Drought Assessment Committee. KFVS12 (Cape Girardeau, Mo.), Oct 29, 2024

The chief of Choctaw Nation issued an executive order for a burn ban in nine southeastern Oklahoma counties and a State of Emergency. The counties affected by the executive order included Atoka, Bryan, Choctaw, Coal, Haskell, Hughes, Latimer, McCurtain and Pushmataha. County commissioners in all nine counties have issued their own burn bans. Only Pittsburg County in the Choctaw Reservation does not have a burn ban. McAlester News-Capital (0kla.), Oct 28, 2024

October is usually a wet month for Central Texas, but this year it has been very dry. Hay will be needed months earlier than usual for livestock as pastures go dry. KCEN TV (Temple, Texas), Oct 28, 2024

A sheep and lamb producer near Bentonville has drying ponds, drying trees that frequently offer shade for the livestock, and dry pastures earlier than anticipated. The farmer had to begin feeding hay in August rather than November like last year. It costs roughly $50 daily to feed the sheep hay. The early expense led to livestock sales to lower his inventory. Raising the price of the lamb meat is another option if drought persists. Cattle farmers were also opting to sell livestock early rather than feed them hay longer than normal. KFSM-TV CBS 5 Fort Smith (Ark.), Oct 28, 2024

A countywide burn ban was in effect for Chester County for the next month due to historic drought and the rising fire danger. Precipitation has been less than half of normal and parts of the area were enduring what may be their driest October on record, according to the National Weather Service. The burn ban will remain in effect through Monday, Nov. 25. Delaware County has a similar burn ban. West Chester, PA Patch, Oct 28, 2024

More than 900 wildfires have been reported in New Jersey from the start of the year through Oct. 21. Four of the blazes have been “major” in severity, burning more than 100 acres each. Rainfall in the Garden State has been below-average for the past five months, allowing the fire season, which typically begins mid-October, to begin early. NJ.com (Newark, N.J.), Oct 28, 2024

The Army Corps of Engineers reduced the flow of the Kansas River at De Soto from 1,000 cubic feet per second to 750 cfs. At Topeka, the flow was slowed from 750 cfs to 600 cfs. The flow reduction was part of the drought contingency plan for the largest reservoirs in northeast Kansas that connect to the Kansas River. KSNT 27 News (Topeka, Kan.), Oct 28, 2024