Current Impacts
To see or report current drought impacts, please visit the Drought Impacts Toolkit, where you can find impacts from media in the Drought Impact Reporter and from citizen scientists and other volunteer observers under Condition Monitoring Observations.
Historic Impacts
No two states have the same experience during a drought. Below are examples of some of the impacts experienced in Nebraska in the past. To view a more complete record, and to filter impacts by drought severity, sector and season, check out the interactive State Impacts Tool.
| Category | Examples of historically observed impacts |
|---|
| D0 | Rangeland conditions decline |
| D1 | Pasture and crop growth are stunted |
| Surface water levels decline |
| D2 | Crop yields are low; ethanol production decreases and plants begin to close |
| Fires increase; firework restrictions are possible |
| Roadside haying begins |
| Well levels are dropping; mandatory surface water irrigation restrictions are implemented; water use is high |
| D3 | Fish kills claim thousands of fish; drought-tolerant trees are dying |
| Groundwater use increases; new irrigation wells are drilled |
| Hay is scarce and expensive; producers are selling cattle early and culling; horses are abandoned |
| Pavement is cracking |
| Water temperatures are high; Platte River is dry in sections; water recreation is limited |
| D4 | Auctions have record number of cattle |
| Crop germination is stunted; high levels of nitrate are found in corn |
| Municipality water supply is low; trade navigation is hindered on major rivers due to low flow and obstructions |
| Severe case of EHD is observed in deer population; deer hunting is down |
| Wildfire season is destructive and costly |