Jefferson County - East-West Gateway Coordinating Council

A Regional Overview All-Hazard Mitigation Plan 81
Characteristics
Figure J46 MISSOURI DROUGHT REGIONS
Source: Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Drought characteristics include economic, social and environmental. This report will touch
on economic and environmental impacts. The 1930s drought’s direct effect is most often
remembered as agricultural. Deficient rainfall, high temperatures, and high winds, as well
as insect infestations and dust storms that accompanied these conditions damaged many
crops. Although records focus on other problems, the lack of precipitation would also
have affected wildlife and plant life, and would have created water shortages for domestic
needs. The severity and aerial coverage of the event played a part in making the 1930s
drought the widely accepted drought of record for the United States.
Likely Locations
According to the Palmer Index, Missouri is broken up into six climate divisions. Franklin, St
Charles, St. Louis City and St. Louis Counties are all found in the southeastern section of
climate Division 2. Jefferson County is in the northeast corner of climate Division 5. Based
on the NDMC historic drought mapping of Regions 2 and 5, the most common area for
drought conditions to occur is within Region 2 (including St. Louis City, St. Louis, St.
Charles, and Franklin counties).
The State of Missouri has State Drought Plans in place. Missouri’s plan is such that it
divides the state into three regions according to their susceptibility to drought depending