23 Counties Are Under A Drought Alert
JEFFERSON CITY (AP) - Governor Matt Blunt's office says a drought alert is declared for 23 counties in eastern and southeast Missouri. Blunt issued drought advisories for 65 other counties. That leaves only 26 Missouri counties that are not in some stage of drought. Blunt directed the Department of Natural Resources to activate the state committee that assesses drought. A drought alert, the second of four levels, is declared when area rainfall is below normal for several months, and plants and stream and pond levels are negatively affected. The 23 counties included in the drought alert are: Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Franklin, Iron, Jefferson, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, St. Charles, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Scott, Stoddard, Washington and Wayne.