Almost no local stream flow except for water from sewage treatment plants.   The ground is getting extremely dry and also cracking.  Many lawns are starting to get extremely brown.  The pond level is extremely low and now is tied with the low mark achieved in September this year and has been the low since I have moved in since 2010.  The lawns are so dry that a cigarette butt could easily start a lawn fire.   Lawn companies are only raising dust when they cut peoples lawns whether it needs it or not.  Some of the pine trees are starting to turn a brownish color.  Both the Licking and Ohio River are near pool stage and may even go below pool stage during the next couple of weeks.  Our area is in D1 - MODERATE DROUGHT now and may evolve to D2 - SEVERE DROUGHT during the next 2 weeks if we do not get a significant rainfall.  Only 0.18” of rainfall during the past month which is desert dryness.  The lawns are looking horrible again at Northern Kentucky University and on Guardian Drive and Shelterview Court in a nearby subdivision.  I will have to water my bushes and pine trees again this week.  There was a 36" watermain break on Moock Road on 10/18/2024 which may have been drought-related.   

4 COUNTY DROUGHT SUMMARY

Boone, Campbell and Kenton County are all in D1 - MODERATE DROUGHT as the Doe Run Lake Dam Reservoir is just about completely empty except for sewerage treatment plant water from Florence and Erlanger.  Western Hamilton County in Ohio is now in D0 - BEGINNING OF DROUGHT and the eastern part of Hamilton County now is in D 1 - MODERATE DROUGHT including Downtown Cincinnati. There was a big rubber mulch playground fire last Friday 11/01/2024 which had caused closure of the southbound I-471 Bridge across the Ohio River because 3 of the girders had partially melted & were damaged from this fire.  Experts do not yet know the cause of this fire; but this fire may have been drought-related possibly caused by a carelessly tossed cigarette butt out of a vehicle window from I-471.  Cincinnati’s traffic will be greatly impacted by this bridge closure for about 2 months particularly during the evening rush hour until the repairs can be made.  A hot cigarette butt (because of its very small size) could have easily had gone thru the litter fences along the I-471 Big Mac Bridge and had landed on the playground under the bridge.

The good news:  Heavy rain is in the forecast for Wednesday night.  Also the remnants of the hurricane Rafael is in the GFS forecast to up into the Ohio valley next weekend bringing several inches of badly needed rain to end our drought.  This will help prevent our areas from slipping back into D2 - Severe Drought category later on this month.  It is almost already severely dry again because of the following events: 1) The playground mulch fire under the Big Mac I-471 Bridge had occurred last week.  2) The pond is now extremely low in my backyard.  3) The Doe Run Lake Reservoir is extremely low and is almost completely dry except for the sewage treatment water in Kenton County.  4) Watermain breaks are occurring due to shifting soil caused by the drought.