Missouri map with county lines and different colors to indicate the intensity of any drought conditions as of Feb. 11, 2024
For details about the drought intensities shown in this map, visit U.S. Drought Monitor - Missouri(link is external)

The amount of precipitation in a particular area varies from year to year, but over a period of years the average amount is fairly constant. A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions that results in water-related problems and other issues. When little or no rain falls, soils can dry out, plants can die and livestock can suffer. When dry weather persists, stream and river flows can decline, water levels in lakes and reservoirs can fall and water in wells and aquifers can decline. Drought can have a serious impact on health, agriculture, economies, energy and the environment.

Droughts can develop quickly or gradually over several weeks, months or even years, and worsened with extreme heat or wind. A drought can end just as quickly or gradually as it began, but more commonly persist for months. A single rainstorm may provide temporary relief, but its impact is short term. Thunderstorms often produce large amounts of rain in a very short time, causing the rain to run off into streams rather than soak into the ground. Several soaking rains may be required to recharge groundwater and break a drought.

Wildfire Prevention

During times of drought wildfire prevention is of key importance for public safety. Resident should be mindful when driving off road, building campfires or burning leaves and other debris. It also is essential for smokers to put out cigarettes completely and safely, as well as responsibly dispose of butts. More information is available at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Wildfire Prevention webpage

Visit the National Weather Service’s Fire Weather Outlooks(link is external) webpage before conducting any prescribed burns on your property, or other activities that may ignite a wildfire. Resources to support prescribed burns are available at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Prescribed Fire webpage. Additional information on wildfire prevention can also be found at the Missouri Department of Public Safety’s Missouri Natural Cover Fire Risk webpage.

Reporting Drought Conditions

Reports and photographs are essential tools used to assess drought conditions. The department encourages the public to submit information and photographs about conditions in their area in order to help local, state and national decision-makers assess drought conditions and impacts in Missouri. If you would like to submit drought-related conditions and impacts for your area, please fill out the survey form at Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR)(link is external)*

Tips and best practices for using CMOR, including how to download and use its field app, can be found in the CMOR troubleshooting guide. A MoDNR video training(link is external), presentation and overview of how CMOR reports help MoDNR achieve its goals are also available. Please note, those uploading photos to CMOR using newer iPhones will need to change their photo format settings to “most compatible” to successfully add images. Users also don’t need a user account to submit CMOR reports, and can “continue without logging in” to proceed.

*The survey is a nationwide service developed by the National Drought Mitigation Center, based at the University of Nebraska, in partnership with the National Integrated Drought Information System and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

News

Gov. Mike Parson signed Executive Order 24-13 on Oct. 29, 2024, declaring a drought alert in Missouri effective until March 31, 2025. The decision comes following expert analysis by MoDNR's Climate and Weather Committee. Drought alerts formalize drought coordination and response for Missouri, but do not affect federal aid determined by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The Climate and Weather subcommittee will continue regularly meetings to monitor conditions according to the state's Missouri Drought Mitigation and Response Plan. Missourians are also encouraged to continue submitting condition reports to the CMOR system(link is external), even in wet or normal conditions. These reports help establish a baseline against which to compare future droughts. 

News

Advisories/ Executive Orders

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