Drought in Chickasaw, Iowa

Drier than normal conditions resulted in extreme drought (D3) for all of Chickasaw County through August. During the first half of August, a 1 to 2 inches of rain fell, initially preventing any spread of severe drought (D2) conditions. Only a tenth to half an inch of rain fell during the second half of August, 5 to 25 percent of normal for the time period, resulting in extreme drought (D3) towards the end of August.

Ongoing abnormally dry conditions from late Spring through Summer resulted in approximately 30 percent of northeast Iowa counties experiencing severe drought (D2) conditions at the start of August. Monthly rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches were 1 to 4 inches below normal, or 10 to 50 percent below normal. By the end of August, all of northeast Iowa from Mitchell and Floyd counties to Clayton county were in at least severe drought (D2), with approximately 85 percent of this area experiencing extreme drought (D3). Across the state, drought impacts were felt with reports of dry topsoil, increased crop disease, early harvest, and reports of livestock death loss.