Drought Information Statement for the Quad State Region Valid October 4, 2024 Issued By: WFO Paducah, Kentucky Contact Information: nws.paducah@noaa.gov This product will be updated if drought conditions change significantly. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/pah/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. The remnants of Hurricane Helene brought welcome relief to the region in the form of steady rainfall spread out over four days. Dry weather is now expected for the next week or two. 1 U.S. Drought Monitor Small improvement were made across the region Drought intensity and Extent D2 (Severe Drought): The two areas of D2 saw small areas of improvement both in southeast Missouri and the Henderson area of west Kentucky. D2 covers approximately 30% of the service area. D1 (Moderate Drought): Large parts of southern Illinois saw improvement bringing the coverage area down to around 38% D0: (Abnormally Dry): Still covers much of southern Illinois and the rest of southeast Missouri Recent Change in Drought Intensity One Week Drought Monitor Class Change Drought Improved: rainfall from Helene brought significant improvement across the region with some areas improving 2 to even 3 categories Drought Worsened: none Precipitation The remnants of Helene brought widespread 4 to 6 inch rain amounts across much of the region. Our northern and western-most counties saw closer to 2-3 inches. Last 30 Day Average and Departure Temperature Temperatures were much warmer this past week with daily averages up to 4 degrees above normal. Summary of Impacts Hydrologic Impacts Abundant rainfall brought welcome relief to the region’s rivers without causing flooding issues. Runoff from last weekend’s rain will keep low flow on the larger navigable rivers at bay for now. Agricultural Impacts While the damage is done to late-planted crops such as corn and soybeans, the rain will help hayfields replenish. Fire Hazard Impacts While burn bans have been lifted in most areas, this week’s dry weather and dry weather again next week will lead to increasing wildfire concerns. Other Impacts There are no known impacts at this time Mitigation Actions Please refer to your municipality and/or water provider for mitigation information. Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Rivers bounced back significantly from recent rainfall. Image Caption: USGS 7 day average streamflow HUC map Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Rivers bounced back significantly from recent rainfall. Image Caption: USGS 7 day average streamflow HUC map Agricultural Impacts Soil moisture has improved significantly across the region even at the 20 to 40 inch depths. Fire Hazard Impacts Kentucky’s seasonal burn ban went into effect October 1. While other local burn bans have been lifted, dry weather expected for the next couple of weeks will lead to increasing wildfire concerns. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast No rain is expected over the next 7 days. Longer range forecasts are for below normal precipitation through the middle of October are for much below normal precipitation. Rapid Onset Drought Outlook Rapid Onset Drought is not expected to continue for now. Long-Range Outlooks The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage More normal temperatures can be expected into October. Precipitation chances will be below normal for the month. The latest 8 to 14 day outlooks call for above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation while weeks 3 and 4 outlooks would have us return to more normal readings. Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage Rainfall from Helene significantly improved drought conditions across the region. High pressure through mid-October will bring dry conditions.