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.
Southeast Iowa
Related Photos
Drought tightens grip on Iowa
- Southeast Iowa
-
-
VIDEO: NSA director says 50 plots foiled
General Keith Alexander says two recently disclosed surveillance programs on international communications are critical in the terrorism fight.
-
Facilities open for use at Rathbun despite high water
With high water levels at Rathbun Lake this spring, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake has crested and is lowering and that park facilities are open and ready for use.
-
Called 'Next Stephen Hawking,' teen is perfect on math exam
There's a wall on the third floor of Lewiston-Porter High School dedicated to celebrating perfect scores on state mathematics exams. A new name joined the growing list Tuesday, which brought a smile to the face of everyone involved.
-
Bakery mix-up goes viral after cat drawn on girl's head
A photo of one graduate's cake has gone viral on Reddit due to a bakery mix-up that left a cat, instead of a cap, drawn on her head.
-
T-15 may close for three months
The construction of the hydroelectric plant near the Red Rock Dam is expected to include road closures, including the possibility of T-15 being closed for 12 weeks.
-
VIDEO: Rapper steps on American flag
Lil Wayne sparked a controversy when he stepped on an American flag during the filming of his new music video, but the rapper later said it was a mistake and unintentional.
-
Facebook's organ donor status sends registrations soaring
Facebook's addition of a way for its users to tell people their organ-donor status helped boost the number of people who registered as donors 21-fold in one day.
-
VIDEO: Britney Spears' sons to make acting debut
Britney Spears recorded a new song for the "The Smurfs 2," and her sons Sean Preston and Jayden will make a cameo in the music video.
-
NWS: Rainfall tops 2013 totals in many areas
The 2012 drought was so severe, and 2013 so wet, that many parts of Iowa have received more precipitation in the first six months of this year than in all of 2012.
-
White House, NASA want help hunting asteroids
The White House and NASA on Tuesday will ask the public for help finding asteroids that potentially could slam into the Earth with catastrophic consequences.
- More Southeast Iowa Headlines
-
