The hot, summer sun beats down on an old windmill outside McPherson, KS last weekend, when temperatures across the state were in the triple digits. (Photo by J. Schafer)
Governor Updates List of KS Counties Under Drought Conditions
Drought conditions are worsening across much of Kansas. Governor Sam Brownback has now updated an earlier "Drought Declaration." The update includes all 105 counties either in an emergency, warning or watch status. Brownback said, "Dry, windy and above normal temperatures in Kansas have led to a Drought Emergency declaration for 36 counties. Below normal precipitation patterns are not only depleting available soil moisture, but these types of conditions have resulted in numerous fires as well.” The updated drought declaration has 36 counties in an emergency status, 55 counties in a warning status and 14 in watch status. This action was recommended to the governor by Tracy Streeter, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team.
Drought Emergency:
Barton, Cheyenne, Decatur, Ellis, Finney, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Lane, Logan, Meade, Morton, Ness, Norton, Pawnee, Phillips, Rawlins, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Scott, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Stanton, Stevens, Thomas, Trego, Wallace, Wichita
Drought Warning:
Allen, Anderson, Barber, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Dickinson, Douglas, Edwards, Ellsworth, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewel, Johnson, Kingman, Kiowa, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Linn, Lyon, Marion, McPherson, Miami, Mitchell, Morris, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Smith, Stafford, Sumner, Wabaunsee, Washington, Woodson, Wyandotte
Drought Watch:
Atchison, Brown, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cowley, Crawford, Doniphan, Elk, Labette, Marshall, Montgomery, Nemaha, Neosho, Wilson
For more detailed information about current conditions, see the Kansas Climate Summary and Drought Report on the Kansas Water Office website at: www.kwo.org
The hot, summer sun beats down on an old windmill outside McPherson, KS last weekend, when temperatures across the state were in the triple digits. (Photo by J. Schafer)