MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — Considering the damage done, the region saw little drought improvement in the past week.
Davison County is still split nearly 50/50 between two different stages of drought. The northern part is in moderate drought, the least significant level on a four-tier scale. The southern half is in severe drought, the next stage up. For Hanson County, it is about one-third moderate drought and the rest is severe. McCook saw mild gains, with some of the county shifting from severe to moderate drought.
The best news comes from around the big bend in the Missouri River. Parts of Buffalo, Hughes, Hyde, and Lyman Counties by the water are out of drought entirely after they got as much as four inches of rain last Thursday. Beadle County and the city of Huron, which saw extensive destruction from intense straight-line winds, barely budged.
Readings are taken on Tuesday morning and missed the downpour in the northeastern part of the state. Next week’s update will likely show considerable change in places like Brookings and Hamlin Counties where the Big Sioux River is currently under a flood warning, along with counties to the north of there.
On the other hand, the forecast suggests south-central and southeastern South Dakota has lost its window to recover from drought conditions. What lies ahead may be the worst yet. Extreme heat with real temps in the 90’s and triple digits is forecast all the way through next weekend. As of Thursday morning, not a drop of rain is expected in that time period.
Results for South Dakota overall were similar to the region, meaning there was almost no change in drought conditions. Currently, about 14% of the state has normal soil readings, roughly 40% is abnormally dry, another 30% is in moderate drought, 13% is in severe drought, and just under 5% is in extreme drought.