September marked the fifth consecutive month of well-below normal rainfall across most of the 24-county area, further worsening an already-serious drought situation as the summer and fall of 2012 continued marking its place in history as one of the worst droughts in several decades. Throughout the month, all 24 counties remained under a federally-designated drought disaster. According to weekly issuances of the U.S. Drought Monitor, the coverage of category D4 exceptional drought expanded early in the month to encompass several more counties and remained firmly in place thereafter. By month's end, exceptional drought was assigned to all or part of 15 of the 24 counties, primarily those north of Interstate 80 and also west of Highway 183. Meanwhile, category D3 extreme drought persisted across most of the other nine counties, while only a small zone of category D2 severe drought held on in portions of Nuckolls and Thayer counties. Taking a closer look at monthly precipitation totals, the vast majority of the area only measured between 0.25-0.70 inches, well under monthly normals generally between 1.75-2.50. Put another way, most of South Central Nebraska received just 10-40 percent of normal September rainfall. Prolonging a trend that started emerging over the past few months, the overall driest conditions focused across the northwest half of the area. Per NWS cooperative observers and a handful of automated stations, a few of the paltriest monthly totals were highlighted by 0.12 at Ord, 0.25 at Arcadia and Gothenburg and 0.30 at Cambridge and Miller. At Ord, this marked the 2nd-driest September on record. A few of the highest monthly rainfall totals across the area, although still well below normal, included 1.75 at Hubbell, 0.87 at Franklin and south of Shickley and 0.84 at Hebron.
Over the longer-range five month period from May through September, corresponding to the majority of the growing season, most of South Central Nebraska only realized between 20-60 percent of normal rainfall. Far northwest counties were the driest of the dry over this time span, highlighted by Ord with 3.66, merely 22% of the normal of 16.50. Area rivers continued to reflect significant drought impacts in September, with most waterways in the Platte, Loup, Republican and Little Blue basins continuing to flow at stages below to much below normal. For the week ending September 23rd, the Nebraska Weather and Crops Report from the USDA indicated that state-averaged subsoil and topsoil moisture rated 98 percent and 95 percent short to very short, respectively. Poor to very poor crop conditions across the state were assigned to 41 percent of the corn crop, 47 percent of soybeans and 59 percent of sorghum. Pasture and range conditions rated 98 percent poor to very poor, a far cry from the 71 percent good to excellent rating of one year ago.

Drought in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in CLAY, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in DAWSON, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in FILLMORE, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in FRANKLIN, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in GOSPER, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in GREELEY, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in HAMILTON, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in HARLAN, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in HOWARD, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in MERRICK, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in NANCE, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in NUCKOLLS, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in PHELPS, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in POLK, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in SHERMAN, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in THAYER, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in VALLEY, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in WEBSTER, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor

Drought in YORK, NEBRASKA
From 01-SEP-12 00:00:00 to 30-SEP-12 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Drought Monitor