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Drought intensified over Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma and eased slightly in other areas during the seven days that ended Aug. 14, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor map released today. The total area of Kansas in exceptional drought jumped to 63.3 percent as of the Aug. 14 map, up from 38.58 percent the previous week. In Missouri, the area in exceptional drought increased to 35.51 percent, up from 13.89 percent. Oklahoma saw the area in exceptional drought increase to 38.86 percent, up from 16.03 percent. In Nebraska, exceptional drought expanded to 22.53 percent of the state, up from 3.46 percent. The good news was that the total area of the United States in drought declined slightly, to 51.7 percent, down from 52.27 percent, and there is hope for continued improvement in the Corn Belt and other areas.

Drought continued to intensify over parts of the central United States during the 7 days ending on August 7, 2012, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor map released today. The August 7 Drought Monitor map shows 52.27 percent of the United States and Puerto Rico in moderate drought or worse, compared to 52.65 percent last week; 38.48 percent in severe drought or worse, compared to 38.12 percent a week earlier; 20.18 percent in extreme drought or worse, up from 18.62 the previous week; and 3.51 percent in exceptional drought, up from 2.52 percent last week.

Drought intensified slightly over the Midwest and Great Plains states in the seven days that ended July 31, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor map released today. The July 31 Drought Monitor map put 52.65 percent of the United States and Puerto Rico in moderate drought or worse, down from 53.44 percent the week before; 38.12 percent in severe drought or worse, compared with 38.11 a week earlier; 18.62 percent in extreme drought or worse, compared with 17.2 percent the week before; and 2.52 percent in exceptional drought, up from 1.99 percent the preceding week.