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KS drought concerns increase; local area under watch status

By Brian Hagen

06/28/2022

(KAIR)--Local counties are placed under a drought watch as Kansas Governor Laura Kelly approves updated drought declarations Monday.

The declaration places all 105 Kansas counties under either a watch, warning, or emergency status, with a watch meaning drought is possible, a warning meaning its inevitable, and an emergency status meaning drought is happening.

Kelly, in the release, says, “a significant portion of [Kansas] has experienced drought or abnormally dry conditions for the past several months,” adding that the “conditions are forecast to persist or get worse.”

The drought declaration, placing 34 Kansas counties into an emergency status, 8 in a warning, and 63 into a watch, was recommended by Connie Owen, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team.

In the release, Owen says the forecast, calling for hot and dry conditions, will likely lead to the rapid intensification of drought conditions in portions of the Midwest over the next few weeks,” adding that “as future outlooks call for hot and dry conditions to continue into July, the potential for a “flash drought” is likely.”

Local Kansas counties placed under a drought watch are Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Jackson, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Marshall, Nemaha, and Pottawatomie.

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