Severe Drought Expands to 93 Percent of Missouri

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Another month begins and the state slips further into drought. The latest national drought monitor, updated weekly, now shows 93 percent (from 63 percent) of Missouri in the most severe category of drought.

See More: Latest Drought Disaster County Designation map from the USDA

Additionally, exceptional drought has developed across southwestern Missouri for the first time since the Drought Monitor began in 2000.

Overnight rains have done little to help the soil moisture in most of the state, as some parts of the state are more than a foot behind normal rainfall totals for the year.

The National Weather Service reports that July 2012 was the hottest month in U.S. history with effects more widespread than during Dust Bowl of 1936. The forecast through the end of the month is for continued warmer-than-normal temperatures and lower-than-normal rainfall totals.

In Springfield, City Utilities warned that the city's water supply was getting dangerously low.

Wednesday's rainfall provided enough water to keep levels even with the reading from Wednesday, but not enough to make a substantial change in storage levels.

CU estimates that if conditions continue as they are today, water storage levels will be at 60 percent in early September. For the first time ever, CU would be forced to implement an Emergency Water Conservation Plan.

"It has been a long, hot couple of months," said Gov. Nixon Thursday morning. "There is no doubt that Mother Nature has hit our agriculture industry hard this year. We're standing with our farmers, helping them where we can."

Wednesday, the state announced it had approved 3,712 applications by farmers for assistance through a cost-share program -- totaling $18.7 million.

The soil and water districts are picking up 90 percent of the cost of digging new wells, or digging existing wells deeper. They're also helping out with new pumps or fixing existing ones.

This summer may rank among some of the driest. Even normal rainfall (3.5-4.5 in.) per month would likely not be sufficient to alleviate the drought conditions.