Drought map of Missouri as of Sep. 9, 2025 (The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.)

Drought conditions intensified across Missouri in the past week, with one-sixth of the state falling into severe drought.

The weekly update from the U.S. Drought Monitor released Thursday shows the worst of drought conditions along the Arkansas border from the Bootheel west to Monett and Bolivar. Locally, our entire region is in abnormal dryness, with moderate drought spreading from Benton County into Morgan, Moniteau, southern Cooper, and southeastern Pettis counties.

In total, 17.04% of Missouri is in severe drought, with another 28.54% in moderate drought. Another 48.5% of Missouri is in abnormal dryness, leaving just 5.9% of the state with normal or excess moisture.