This drought carried over from July when record setting heat and dryness brought increasingly worse drought conditions to the region into and beyond August.  Rainfall which was already deficient for the season going into July, continued much below normal in July and was 1 to 3 inches below normal in August over many parts of the area.  The exception was far southeast Nebraska where rainfall was more in the 3 to 6 inch range which helped stem the droughts worsening effects.  In addition, high temperatures consistently rose above 95 degrees during the first and last weeks of August with some sites recording a few days above 100.  The middle part of the month saw temperatures dip well below normal thus many average temperatures for August ended up close to normal.  The persistent hot and dry weather kept many rivers at very low flows, including the Platte River which remained dry upstream of the Loup River.  The drought also caused some local wells to become dry or go to very low flow rates.  The low waters prompted the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources to issue irrigation halts for selective waterways including the Loup, Big Blue and Elkhorn Rivers as well as Salt Creek which persisted into August.  The low river levels and irrigation pressure from underground water sources also caused some municipalities to institute voluntary or mandatory water restrictions.  According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, drought intensities in northeast Nebraska started the month in the Extreme category, with Severe levels observed over the rest of eastern Nebraska. By the first week of August Extreme drought classification spread southeast to the area along and north of Interstate 80 and by the end of the month all but the southeast corner of Nebraska was at least in the Extreme category.  The drought in Nebraska and surrounding states caused some crop prices, especially corn and soybeans, to reach record or near record levels in July with high prices continuing into August.  A little over 40 percent of the corn and soybean crop was considered poor or very poor by the USDA by the end of August.  The drought continued into September.

Drought in DODGE, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in DOUGLAS, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Although Omaha officially recorded over 2 inches of rain in August, as did the far northern and western parts of the county, some areas of Omaha measured less than 1/2 inch of rain in July and August combined.

Drought in JOHNSON, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in NEMAHA, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in OTOE, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in PAWNEE, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in PIERCE, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in CASS, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The lingering drought caused several lake communities to put in place mandatory watering restrictions in the county.

Drought in BOONE, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The lingering drought caused the community of St. Edward to enact a mandatory watering restriction.

Drought in CEDAR, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The lingering drought caused the community of Laurel to enact mandatory watering restrictions in August.

Drought in COLFAX, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The lingering drought caused the community of Clarkson to enact mandatory watering restrictions in August.

Drought in KNOX, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The lingering drought caused the community of Bloomfield to enact mandatory watering restrictions in August.

Drought in GAGE, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The lingering drought caused the community of Clatonia to enact mandatory watering restrictions in August.

Drought in JEFFERSON, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The lingering drought caused the County to enact mandatory watering restrictions in August across the Little Blue Water Project.

Drought in SARPY, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The lingering drought caused the mandatory watering restrictions in August for some rural SIDs.

Drought in MADISON, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The lingering drought caused the community of Battle Creek to enact mandatory watering restrictions in August.

Drought in SEWARD, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The lingering drought caused the communities of Goehner, Staplehurst and Utica to enact mandatory watering restrictions in August.

Drought in SAUNDERS, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The lingering drought caused the mandatory watering restrictions in August for some rural SIDs.

Drought in STANTON, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

The lingering drought caused the mandatory watering restrictions in August for the Country Village SID.

Drought in PLATTE, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in RICHARDSON, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in SALINE, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in THURSTON, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in WASHINGTON, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in WAYNE, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in BURT, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in LANCASTER, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Newspaper

As the drought intensified across Lancaster county the city of Lincoln instituted a mandatory water restriction in early August.  People were fined later in the month, resulting in 100 fines the first day police started cracking down on violators.

Drought in ANTELOPE, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in BUTLER, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in CUMING, NEBRASKA
From 01-AUG-12 00:00:00 to 31-AUG-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Reported by: Drought Monitor