Drought in Cross, Arkansas

D3 Extreme Drought persisted through the month of May, but did shrink spatially.

Approximately 86% of Arkansas was locked in Severe Drought (D2) or worse. Crucially, Northeast Arkansas remained the epicenter of Exceptional Drought (D4) and Extreme Drought (D3) conditions. Because the topsoil lacked the basic moisture required for seed germination, row-crop farmers across the Northeast Arkansas Delta had to run irrigation pivots continuously through the first three weeks of May just to get cotton, corn, and soybeans to sprout. Relief finally arrived during the last week of May, with widespread storms dropping several inches of rain across the region. Despite the rain, it took a bit of extra time to make up for the extreme rainfall deficits and drought continued into June.