Missouri, 1999

Drought in Missouri, August 1 to 31, 1999

August 1 to 31, 1999 · NWS PAH · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

After an abnormally wet June, the rest of the summer was very dry. By the end of August, far southeast Missouri was on the verge of a severe drought, according to the Palmer Drought Index.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.

After an abnormally wet June, the rest of the summer was very dry. By the end of August, far southeast Missouri was on the verge of a severe drought, according to the Palmer Drought Index. Total rainfall from July 1 through the end of August was less than an inch at many locations in and near the Bootheel. The areas least affected by the drought were north and west of Cape Girardeau, where thunderstorms produced torrential rain early in the month. Many crops suffered from the dry weather, especially soybeans. The corn crop fared reasonably well, mainly due to heavy spring rains, which allowed it to mature before the drought set in. Fields and shrubs dried out and turned brown, contributing to very high fire danger. Cape Girardeau County instituted an outdoor burning ban due to a rash of small brush fires.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Bollinger

When
August 1, 12:01 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Bollinger forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
37.322, -90.026 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Butler

When
August 1, 12:01 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Butler forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
36.716, -90.407 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Cape Girardeau

When
August 1, 12:01 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Cape Girardeau forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
37.384, -89.684 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Carter

When
August 1, 12:01 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Carter forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
36.941, -90.962 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Mississippi

When
August 1, 12:01 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Mississippi forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
36.828, -89.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, New Madrid

When
August 1, 12:01 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
New Madrid forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
36.595, -89.652 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Perry

When
August 1, 12:01 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Perry forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
37.707, -89.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Ripley

When
August 1, 12:01 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Ripley forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
36.653, -90.864 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Scott

When
August 1, 12:01 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Scott forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
37.053, -89.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Stoddard

When
August 1, 12:01 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Stoddard forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
36.856, -89.944 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Wayne

When
August 1, 12:01 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Wayne forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
37.113, -90.461 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Missouri in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, August 1999

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5712941, 5712942, 5712943, 5712944, 5712945, 5712946, 5712947, 5712948, 5712949, 5712950, 5712951.