Isaac's remnants relieve some drought states - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Some key farm states punished by the nation's worst drought in decades caught a break with several inches of rainfall from Hurricane Isaac's remnants as other parts of the Midwest weren't as lucky.

The weekly U.S. Drought Monitor map shows that the section of the continental U.S. in the worst two categories of drought - extreme and exceptional - dipped slightly to 21.45 percent, down 1.7 percentage points from last week.

Stretches of Missouri, Illinois and Indiana got some relief, with as much as 6 inches of rain left behind by slow-moving Isaac easing some of the drought conditions in those states.

But as the nation's biggest corn producer, Iowa for the most missed out on the needed moisture. Portions of that state's northwest portion slipped into exceptional drought.

See current drought conditions for Indiana.

See a comparison of Indiana's drought conditions before and after Isaac.

The U.S. Drought Monitor's weekly report says that none of Indiana is now in the worst categories of extreme or exceptional drought. Last week's report had listed 11 percent of the state in exceptional drought, but much of that area in southwestern Indiana saw 3 inches or more of rain last weekend.

The report still classifies about 55 percent of Indiana as in severe drought, roughly south of a line from Lafayette to Richmond. A month ago, nearly 69 percent of the state was list in extreme or exceptional drought.

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