October 11, 2024, Press Release from the Ohio State Fire Marshal: Columbus, Ohio – Working in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio State Fire Marshal Kevin Reardon has issued an order lifting a Ban on Open Burning that was initially ordered on Sept. 6, 2024, in response to extremely dry conditions in much of the state. While drought conditions persist in parts of the state, the onset of moderate fall temperatures and atmospheric conditions and recent sustained rains that have fallen across the state have provided enough moisture to create a significant and sustained reduction in wildfire fuel loads during the first part of October.

It is not a shock that it has been very dry lately. According to the Drought Monitor issued on September 26th, all of west-central Ohio is in at least moderate drought with severe drought to the north and southeast of Lima. Extreme and exceptional drought has ravaged much of central and southeastern Ohio. On Friday, I traveled to the Auglaize County Ohio State University Extension Office in Wapakoneta where I was told that topsoil conditions are not great.

LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Despite the moderate drought affecting the region, we're told Lima's water supply is in good shape. 

September 19, 2024, Press Release from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources: COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Water Resources is urging the public to use water resources wisely due to dry conditions across Ohio. The division is working with partners to monitor the ongoing impacts of drought across the entire state. Water is a shared resource, making the consequences of drought diverse and complex. Potential impacts can include reduced agricultural production, decreased transportation on major rivers, limitations on municipal water supply, challenges in maintaining water quality, stress on wildlife, and reduction of recreation.

Although a new year has begun, we are taking a look at the weather events that made 2022 memorable. For the third year in a row, we're happy to report that no major tornadoes touched down in our area. However, the list of impactful weather events remains rather lengthy. Moving in chronological order, our first major event was a winter storm on February 2nd and 3rd. The storm dumped 6" to 10" of snow, following a period of rain that froze on area roadways. This would end up as our only notable winter storm last winter.

With the official start of summer on Sunday, the season's high temperatures and recent dry days could become a problem for farming in the area. Ohio's growing season started abnormally dry, causing concerns. But, as months went on, there was steady improvement locally. This led our area out of a drought monitor. As we head into the hotter months though, Clint Schroeder, an Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator with the OSU Extension, says one concerning thing is the increasing drought in states Northwest of us.

With the recent heatwave and lack of rain, could communities start seeing any type of water restrictions? As for the City of Lima, they are ready for whatever Mother Nature has in store.