Drought Conditions Expected To Worsen In Quad Cities

Despite the derecho that tore through the Quad Cities ripping up trees and causing power outages for thousands, it really didn't bring that much rain.  Because our lack of rain, the area is still in drought like conditions.

While parts of western Iowa are in extreme drought conditions, eastern Iowa and western Illinois are starting to see "D0" levels which puts the Quad Cities at abnormally dry.  You can see on the map below (and get more US info here) that more of the Midwest is experiencing these abnormally dry conditions than last year.

One big concern is the future forecast.  According to the Weather Channel, the next chance of significant rain will not occur till Saturday, August 29.  And currently that sits at only 40%.  While things could change to bring more chances of rain, they could also change to get even more dry.

There currently are no watering restrictions so you can keep the water flowing to keep that grass green, flowers blooming and garden ripe.  But of course that is just the aesthetic look of your yard and some small veggies we got growing.  The real concern for the area, and even more so the entire state, is the damage to crops.  We were already dealing with these dry conditions before fields were damaged or destroyed by the derecho.  Now it's only going to get worse.  Prepare for farmers to struggle, and prices to go up.