Ohio recorded its wettest August on record this year, with some areas receiving 12.5–15 inches of rainfall, according to Aaron Wilson, Ohio state climatologist and assistant professor at Ohio State University's College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

The deluge forced Ohio State to cancel larger field demonstrations at its Sept. 22–24 Farm Science Review in London, Ohio, and trapped cars in mud. "The ground cannot take any more," Wilson said.

Why does this August stand out?

Some Ohio counties received 12.5–15 inches of rain in August 2026. The figure dwarfs the 0.25–1.25 inches that fell in August 2025, which ranked as the state's driest August on record. September has continued the trend, with 7.08 inches recorded by Sept. 27 per the National Weather Service.

Wilson links the volatility to greenhouse gases warming the atmosphere and accelerating evaporation. "We're in an overall regime that's creating conditions of rapid oscillations between extremely wet and extremely dry," he said.

What is the impact on soybeans?

The wet summer has eased one persistent harvest headache: dry beans. Taylor Dill, director of research for the Ohio Soybean Council, said farmers need 12–13% moisture for safe storage. During the past two drought summers, growers harvested at just 9%, losing revenue because buyers pay by weight.

"We might just be happy with an upswing of not harvesting soybeans (with 9% moisture)," Dill said.

The new risk is excess rain. Saturated pods can split or trigger germination inside the husk, Dill warned. Her advice: get the crop off sooner rather than later.

How is corn faring?

Eric Tipton, owner of Ricketts Farm LLC and board president of the Ohio Corn and Wheat Association, farms a few thousand acres of soybeans, corn and wheat near Jeffersonville, Ohio. He calls 2026 "a rollercoaster." Key setbacks on his farm this season:

• A May freeze wiped out a quarter of his 1,000 soybean acres, forcing replanting
• The same frost killed a portion of one of his wheat fields
• Ohio's all-time warmest March temperature (86°F) and fourth wettest spring on record bracketed the freeze

"Corn's a lot more fun to harvest when it's still standing," Tipton said. "When it starts to bend and twist and lay over in directions, it makes it a lot harder to harvest."

University of Nebraska-Lincoln research links waterlogged soils to stalk and ear rot in corn. Tipton suspects disease has entered his fields and could compromise standability, though he still expects higher yields than the drought summers of 2024 and 2025.

How are farmers adapting?

Tipton planted cover crops about 10 years ago after heavy tillage left his fields prone to erosion. Roots now hold soil and fertilizer in place through heavy rain events. "They were pretty prone to washing, so as we get these heavy rains, it's carrying a lot of our soil," Tipton said.

Wilson endorses the practice alongside controlled drainage systems and machinery suited to wet ground. "In the short term, it's bearing the conditions that we're seeing, but as far as long-term, it's investment in water management over a longer period of time," Wilson said.

Both experts urge farmers to grab every dry window through autumn. "About the next time it dries out and we're able to run, we're going to run long hours," Tipton said. Watch for stalk-lodging reports in Ohio corn and pod-integrity checks in soybeans as combines work through October, with more rain in the National Weather Service outlook.