Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has updated the state’s drought alert map.
For the KVOE listening area, Lyon, Chase and Greenwood counties have been upgraded from drought watch to drought warning. Coffey, Morris, Osage and Wabaunsee counties remain in a drought watch. Three counties in central or south-central Kansas — Harvey, Reno and Sedgwick — remain in a drought emergency.
Kelly says the state has seen persistent drought conditions ahead of typically drier conditions during the summer. Meanwhile, Kansas Water Office Director and Governor’s Drought Response Team Chair Connie Owen says long-term drought effects “have prevented improvements in the overall conditions” despite recent rainfall.
The latest update to the state drought alert map now has 39 counties under a drought warning and 63 counties under a drought watch.
Kelly is asking residents across Kansas to at least consider water usage — avoiding any guidance to conserve at this time — and also to take extra care to avoid wildfires.
The US Drought Monitor has moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions across most of the KVOE listening area, but there is an area of severe drought covering far west Lyon County and most of Chase County. The next update is Thursday morning.
