PIERRE — Heavy recent rains aside, drought is getting worse across a growing part of South Dakota. D-Three, Extreme drought is now being shown in southeast Ziebach and far northern Haakon County along the Cheyenne River. It’s the same area where last week a flash flood warning was posted. Surrounding the extreme drought is a ring of severe drought in adjacent parts of Dewey, Ziebach, Haakon and Stanley County. While extreme drought in west central South Dakota is new, it has expanded in the southeast; now including Union, Clay, Yankton, Bon Homme and parts of Turner and Hutchinson Counties. In central South Dakota, Moderate drought now sits across northwest Stanley; much of Dewey, Ziebach and Haakon and norther Jackson Counties. Abnormally dry conditions are seen in southern Mellette and Lyman; Jones; Stanley; western Hughes, Sully and Potter and northern Ziebach and Dewey Counties.
