Moderate Drought Expands Across Mellette, Jackson And Haakon Counties

PIERRE, (KCCR) — Drought continues to creep east across South Dakota. More of central South Dakota has been put into increasing worse levels of drought according to this week’s update of the U-S Drought Monitor for the state. Mellette, Jackson and Haakon County have been added to the moderate drought category in as least some capacity. Moderate drought in Mellette County nearly doubled in one week from 47-percent to 82-percent. All of Mellette County is at least abnormally dry with no drought free areas. Moderate drought in Jackson County increased from six-percent last week to 92-percent this week. A small area in northeast Jackson County remains abnormally dry. There is no drought-free places in Jackson County. Moderate drought increased by 19-percent this week in Haakon County. Abnormally dry areas increased from 45-percent to 58-percent while drought-free areas declined from 54 to 41-percent. Just under one-percent of South Dakota is in severe drought, while 11-percent is in serious drought, 31-percent in moderate drought. Fifty-three percent of the state is abnormally dry while 46-percent is drought free, mainly in eastern South Dakota.