The latest edition of the Iowa Drought Monitor show significant improvements in all categories. The report shows none of the state is currently in extreme drought, and this week, almost 17% more of the state has escaped drought conditions altogether. In western and west central Iowa, the Extreme Drought we’ve been facing for months, was reduced to Severe Drought status.

Officials say the dramatic drought improvement came to many areas in the form of a multi-day rain event. Measurable rain fell each day from September 6-12 in Iowa locations such as Dubuque and Davenport, totaling 7.46 and 7.76 inches, respectively. During the same 7-day period, Moline, IL, received 5.97 inches. Broad improvements were introduced where the heaviest rain fell, but some eastern sections of the Midwest remained dry and saw some development or expansion of abnormal dryness (D0). Extreme drought (D3) was erased from Iowa, with only patch of D3 remaining in eastern Nebraska. In contrast, September 1-15 rainfall totaled just 0.04 inch (3% of normal) in Indianapolis, Indiana, and 0.50 inch (32%) in Saint Louis, Missouri.