With information from Kentucky Public Radio's Stu Johnson and the Associated PressKentucky officials say drought conditions exist in three-fourths of the state and the dry spell has become severe in parts of western Kentucky, where farmers are at risk of low yields or no crops at all. The state climatologist's office today put 24 western Kentucky counties in the severe drought category. In those areas, people face increased risk of wildfires, depletion of water supplies in wells, springs and ponds and higher demands on water treatment plants.Bill Caldwell with the Kentucky Division of Water says shortages could spread across the state as the drought worsens. “Depending upon how extreme a drought becomes…water supply can potentially become an issue for anybody…except for possibly water suppliers that draw out of a large core lake..or water suppliers that take water out of the Ohio River," he said. Nearly one-fourth of Indiana has been placed in the severe drought category, and 87 percent of the state is under at least a moderate drought.
