New Drought Monitor Shows More Improvement

The new Drought Monitor Map released Thursday showed more incremental improvement of the drought territory in Missouri and Iowa.

Missouri’s territory considered to be in either moderate or severe drought is now less than 10 percent. 7 percent is considered to be in moderate drought and 1.61 percent is considered to be in severe drought. One of two areas of severe drought is in the western half of Atchison County. The other severe drought area is in southwest Missouri. There is also moderate drought within the region along the counties in the northwest region that border the Missouri river. Harrison, Daviess, Mercer, Grundy, and Putnam Counties are free of any dryness according to the map. Counties in the western part of the listening area are still with some pre-drought conditions.

Iowa’s map also shows improvement. Southern Iowa is generally free of even pre-drought territory in all but Taylor County. Across the entire state, another 6 percent of the state was taken out of pre-drought conditions. 17 percent of the state is now considered to be without dryness. The state’s moderate drought territory dropped by 13 percent. Overall in Iowa, point-5 percent is in exceptional drought, 8 percent in extreme drought, 21 percent in severe drought, 25 percent in moderate drought, and 29 percent with pre-drought conditions.