Extreme drought creeps into Franklin County, exceptional drought takes hold in Pickaway

Ohio is currently facing the most severe drought it's ever seen, and it continues to worsen, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

As much as 7% of the state is now experiencing "exceptional" drought conditions, the highest level of drought on the drought monitor's scale.

Franklin County's southern neighbor, Pickaway County, is almost entirely consumed by exceptional drought. "Extreme" drought conditions, a step lower than exceptional, have emerged in southern Franklin County.

Twenty-two Ohio counties are now designated as natural disaster areas due to the drought, making farmers in the affected areas eligible for emergency loans from the USDA, The Dispatch previously reported .

Some showers and thunderstorms were possible Friday afternoon and evening, and some may be strong to severe, according to a hazardous weather outlook from the National Weather Service. These storms are possible in central, south-central, west-central, and southwest Ohio. Southeastern Ohio is not included in the National Weather Service's hazardous weather outlook.

Columbus gets an average monthly rainfall of 3.14 nches in September, though as of noon Friday the city had no recorded precipitation, according to NWS data.

What happens during an exceptional drought?

Exceptional drought, or D4 on the drought scale, is the worst it can get. Under these conditions, widespread crop and pasture loss occurs, water emergencies become possible as wells, streams and reservoirs dry up, and fire risk is "exceptional," according to the National Weather Service.

Here's what happens under other drought conditions, according to the NWS .

• D0, Abnormally Dry: These conditions emerge at the start and end of droughts. Going into a drought, dryness will slow down planting and growing of crops and pastures, and fire risk is above average. Coming out of a drought, crops and pastures will still be recovering and some water deficits may remain. 33% of Ohio is currently in D0 conditions.
• D1, Moderate Drought: These conditions cause some damage to crops and pastures, and the risk of fire is high. Streams, reservoirs and wells run low on water and some water shortages may occur. 30% of Ohio is currently in D1 conditions.
• D2, Severe Drought: Crops and pasture losses are likely, and the risk of fire is very high. Water shortages are common. 9% of Ohio is currently in D2 conditions.
• D3, Extreme Drought: Major crop and pasture losses occur, and there is an extreme risk of fire. Water shortages are widespread. 14% of Ohio is currently in D3 conditions.

NHart@dispatch.com

@NathanRHart

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Extreme drought creeps into Franklin County, exceptional drought takes hold in Pickaway