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Historic flooding in Ohio highlights the need for new weather management tools

Ohio’s state climatologist says researchers are working to help farmers better prepare for adverse weather conditions.

Aaron Wilson says Ohio State University is evaluating management strategies to help farmers manage excessively wet and dry growing seasons.

“We’re looking at controlled drainage structures,” he says. “A lot of water management conservation practices can help mitigate some of these periods where we’re really dry and we need to keep moisture in the ground. They also help limit erosion in wet periods and nutrient loss.”

He tells Brownfield August 2026 was the wettest month on record.

“There was a tremendous amount of rainfall across west-central, central, and southern Ohio,” he says. “A lot of areas with flooding and standing water for days on end. When you deal with 15 inches of rain in a single month, that’s quite the event to try to build resilience to.”

Wilson says the ag weather and climate team continues to help farmers navigate challenging weather years.

AUDIO: Aaron Wilson, Ohio State University