Most of Johnson County is now experiencing moderate drought conditions, officials say.
In the U.S. Drought Monitor’s Weekly Update on Thursday, most of the county was upgraded from the D0 – Abnormally Dry category to the“D1 — Moderate Drought category. Some areas of extreme northwestern Johnson County are under the D-2 — Severe Drought category.
The Drought Monitor is a joint venture between the U.S. Government and the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. It is a five-category system, with D0 – Abnormally Dry being the lowest category and D4 – Exceptional Drought being the highest category. Each weekly update uses data from the previous seven days to make the assessments.
Under a moderate drought, some damage to crops and pastures is possible. Streams, reservoirs or wells could also be low, and some water shortages could possibly develop. With a severe drought, these conditions could be made worse, according to Drought.gov.
No announcements about these items taking place in Johnson County have been made.
Areas of western Indiana and northern Indiana are currently under D2 – Severe Drought, with some areas of southern and eastern Indiana under D0 – Abnormally Dry. Most of the rest of Indiana is considered to be in a moderate drought, officials say.
The county has not been designated as being under a drought declared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
