Illinois has 33 counties that have been declared federal disaster areas, qualifying farmers in those areas for disaster relief. The yellow-shaded Illinois counties below had been declared drought-devastated before the green-shaded counties were added to the federal disaster area list Monday. More are expected to be added in the weeks ahead.
Downstate Illinois has not received significant rainfall between June 11th and July 18th, and summer temperatures were above normal during the normal growing season. Fields and ponds are drying up, leaving cattle and livestock needs becoming more crucial.
There is no relief in sight, according to the precipitation forecast:
