Early Warning In Action: Record Drought in 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 most intense drought in Ohio in 25 years, they were not caught unprepared. Ohio is part of the NIDIS Midwest Drought Early Warning System, which has been working for years to improve drought early warning and monitoring and alleviate drought impacts. In 2023, NIDIS and researchers from Ohio State University completed a project that identified indicators and timescales that work best in Ohio for monitoring agricultural and hydrological drought, giving Ohio decision-makers access to localized, timely drought information. The project also developed an online dashboard for drought monitoring in Ohio.
On April 25, 2024, NIDIS and Midwest regional partners issued a Drought Status Update. Even though Ohio and surrounding states were drought-free at the time, there were ominous signs of dry conditions to come due to long-term precipitation deficits in the region. With summer coming, the Drought Status Update warned that “areas that receive below-normal precipitation in the coming months may be at risk for worsening drought conditions due to increased evaporative demand from higher temperatures and a lack of subsoil moisture.”
Aaron Wilson, Ohio State Climatologist, used the April 25 update to initiate Ohio State University Extension’s Drought Response Team, which then turned to action by late June. The Drought Response Team took a number of steps, including gathering and sharing resources with producers to help them respond to impacts (e.g., Addressing Feed & Forage Shortages).
“I think it's the people and the network, when the information is communicated effectively, that is the bread and butter of a Drought Early Warning System!”
– Aaron Wilson, Ohio State Climatologist
The outreach didn’t end there. NIDIS issued a flash drought alert for Ohio in June 2024. Flash drought followed soon after, and by late August 2024, Exceptional Drought (D4) was introduced in southeastern Ohio, eventually covering 13% of the state by September 24.
NIDIS followed up with Drought Status Updates in July and September, providing updates on conditions, outlooks, and impacts in the region. In September, NIDIS partnered with Mid-Atlantic and Midwest partners to host a webinar updating stakeholders on the drought that now covered most of West Virginia and Ohio. Webinar viewers included Congressional staffers and the Governor’s offices of West Virginia and Ohio. The webinar also included presentations from local experts on drought impacts to agriculture and water supplies, as well as Federal and state agency resources providing drought relief and assistance. On this webinar, National Weather Service and U.S. Department of Agriculture experts declared the drought had peaked and conditions would likely improve over the next few months.
As predicted, the drought did slowly begin to dissipate over the next few months. NIDIS issued two more Drought Status Updates in fall and early winter tracking ongoing impacts, as well as these improvements. The drought was almost gone by the end of 2024.
Photo caption: Pasture conditions in September 2024 across southeast Ohio. Credit: Ted Wiseman, Ohio State Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Extension Educator for Perry County.
