Extreme Drought Now Set Up In Mellette County As Drought Conditions Continue To Expand

PIERRE, (KCCR) — The U-S Drought Monitor map for South Dakota gets brighter and brighter each week and that is not a good indication. While the yellows, tans, oranges and reds resemble a changing fall forest, it actually indicates drought getting worse across the state. Mellette County continues to struggle finding soil moisture as western parts of the county have now been put under the D-3 extreme drought designation. Extreme drought now makes up 22-percent of Mellette County with 92-percent under severe drought. Severe drought across Jackson County increased 64-percent this week to 94-percent. Moderate drought increased to 100-percent from 97-percent the week before. In Haakon County moderate drought increased 17-percent while severe drought was added by just over five-percent. Severe drought in northern Dewey County grew by 21-percent to 27-percent. Moderate drought grew 20-percent in Jones County and 64-percent in central Lyman County. Brule County saw moderate drought grow from zero to 66-percent since last week.