Drought Information Statement for the Quad State Region Valid September 11, 2025 Issued By: WFO Paducah, Kentucky Contact Information: nws.paducah@noaa.gov This product will be updated if drought conditions change significantly. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/pah/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. A prolonged dry period, which started in late July in some areas, has resulted in the rapid development of severe drought conditions. This is following on the heels of what was one of our wettest starts to the year on record through early July. 1 U.S. Drought Monitor Severe drought has been added to portions of the region. Drought intensity and Extent D2 (Severe Drought): Has been added to southern portions of southeast Missouri, part of the Jackson Purchase area of west Kentucky, and a small sliver of southwest Illinois. D2 covers approximately 26% of the service area. D1 (Moderate Drought): Nearly the entire region (90% coverage) is now in at least D1 drought. D0: (Abnormally Dry): Covers the other 10% of the region, including much of southwest Indiana. Recent Change in Drought Intensity One Week Drought Monitor Class Change Drought Improved: A very small portion of Daviess County, KY into Spencer County, IN. Drought Worsened: Much of last week’s D1 drought was downgraded to D2 across southeast Missouri, the Jackson Purchase area of west Kentucky, and a small area of southwest Illinois. Meanwhile, D0 was converted to D1 across much of southeast Illinois and other parts of west KY. Precipitation The heaviest rainfall over the past 7 days was confined to parts of southern IL, southwest IN, and far northwest KY. Amounts ranged from 0.25” to 0.75”, with a swath up to 2” near and just north of Owensboro, KY. Southern portions of southeast Missouri and a large section of west KY from Fulton to Madisonville received very little, if any, rainfall. Last 30 Day Average and Departure Temperature Temperatures were above normal in mid August. However, the period starting August 24th and continuing through September 9th were well below normal. In fact, this was the coldest such period on record in portions of our region, including Paducah and Cape Girardeau. Record lows were broken on a few nights. Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts 14 day streamflows, according to USGS data, are below the 25th percentile in some locations. Many areas still have near average streamflows though, thanks to a very wet first half of the year. Agricultural Impacts There have been reports of stress to soybean crops and corn drying quickly. Poor pasture conditions have also been observed. Fire Hazard Impacts There are a growing number of burn bans in effect (over a dozen of our 58 counties). Other Impacts There have been reports of low farm pond levels and instances of leaves turning color and starting to drop. Mitigation Actions Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information. Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Rivers have steadily fallen across the region since the beginning of August. Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Rivers have steadily fallen across the region since the beginning of August. Agricultural Impacts Soil moisture has deteriorated for a large part of the Ohio and middle Mississippi Valleys. Fire Hazard Impacts Many counties have enacted burn bans across west Kentucky, along with a few areas in southern Illinois and southwest Indiana. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast Very little rain is expected over the next 7 days (maybe an isolated shower or storm but that will be extremely limited). Longer range forecasts tend to favor a continuation of below normal precipitation through the end of September. Rapid Onset Drought Outlook Rapid Onset Drought may continue to expand and worsen across much of the lower Ohio and middle Mississippi Valleys. However, confidence is lower in the 8-14 day period as compared to areas to our south. Long-Range Outlooks The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage A slight lean towards above normal temperatures is favored through the next 3 months. There is a slight tilt towards drier than normal conditions continuing into the Fall season. Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Drought is expected to worsen in the coming weeks due to a continuation of very dry conditions. The next week in particular will also be quite hot, with highs in the 90s, which may cause more rapid deterioration compared to the past couple of weeks