All of Texoma in extreme or severe drought level

SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) -It is hot in Texoma, the majority of Texoma is now in an extreme drought, and the remaining areas are in a severe drought.

“What will break this drought will be a hurricane,” Owner and Operator of W.I Farms Ben Wible said.

Ben Wible has been farming since he was 11-years-old, and during his 62 years of farming, he said this year is the third worst year he has experienced due to the drought.

“It should make 4500 to 5000 pounds per acre and we’re gonna be lucky to get 2500 pounds per acre on this milo,” Wible said.

Majority of our Texoma viewing area is under a D3 drought, being labeled as extreme drought, while the remaining areas are in a D2 drought, meaning severe level.

“So the drought conditions should continue to get worse as we go through the rest of these summer months,” Mesonet Agriculture Coordinator at Oklahoma State University Wes Lee said.

The milo crops on Wible’s property are three feet tall, when they should be at least four feet. Wible said the heads where the seeds are, are smaller than what they should be because of the drought.

“And this is just marginal what we are doing here and actually the hay will be worth more than the milo will be at this time,” Wible said.

Now this is a video of drought changes in our Texoma area over the course of the last 34 days.

Lee says July is one of the wetter months in Oklahoma, and for News 12s viewing area, it has rained four days total.

“If we receive no rainfall and these temperatures continue to run 5 to 10 degrees above normal like they have for most of summer and it looks like it’s gonna continue for the next couple weeks, we can’t do anything but get worse as we reference to drought levels,” Lee said.

The drought monitor will update Thursday morning.

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