The forecasts for rain have left us dry the past couple of weeks, and the Missouri Drought Monitor now shows Severe Drought for all of Livingston, Carroll, Chariton, Linn, Sullivan, and Grundy counties, and parts of Caldwell and Daviess counties which are mainly under a moderate drought.
A Severe drought means we are seeing large and deep soil cracks, surface water levels are low and reservoirs are noticeably low. In some areas, there may be city water restrictions.
Producers and gardeners will see plants are stressed and yields could be affected.
Locally, a Burn Ban is issued in Chillicothe and a burn advisory is in place for Livingston County as the local emergency managers are recommending no open burning and using caution in outdoor activities.