OTTUMWA —
The U.S. Drought Monitor showed major shifts in this summer's drought with Thursday's update.
Remnants of Hurricane Isaac made a huge difference in the map. Conditions in several states, notably Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, showed significant improvement. But conditions elsewhere worsened as the drought spread northward in the plains.
Nearly a quarter of the high plains region, which includes North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming, is now under exceptional drought conditions. That spills over into Iowa, where conditions worsened.
The westernmost parts of northwestern Iowa joined the high plains in exceptional drought conditions, the highest level in the monitor's scale. Extreme drought spread as well. More than 62 percent of the state is now in that category, up from 58 percent last week.
Locally, the extreme drought category now claims all of Appanoose and Davis counties, as well as about two-thirds of Van Buren County and all but a small sliver of northern Wapello County. Marion, Appanoose and Keokuk counties have not seen a return to the extreme drought category, but are considered to remain in severe drought conditions.
CNHI/Southeast Iowa
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Drought tightens grip on Iowa
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