State Climate Office of Ohio

A key to an effective drought early warning system is having the people and processes in place before drought happens. In August 2024, parts of Ohio reached Exceptional Drought (D4), the most intense level of the U.S. Drought Monitor. This was also the first time ever that Ohio had areas of Exceptional Drought (D4) on the U.S. Drought Monitor since it began in 2000. Even though this was the