(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - Only about a quarter of Indiana remains in a severe drought.

The U.S. Drought Monitor’s newest weekly update release Thursday shows 26 percent of Indiana in severe drought as of Tuesday. Conditions are improving in our area, as the figure is down from 55 percent a week ago.

The Indiana region included in the severe drought includes all of southeast Indiana.

Most of Hamilton County, Ohio as well as northwestern Boone County, Kentucky are also in a severe drought. The rest of Boone County is in a moderate drought.

The National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio credits recent rains for the easing of drought conditions.

“Several inches of rain have fallen across the region in September, leading to some improvements in the drought conditions. The first significant rains were the result of the remnants of Hurricane Isaac during the weekend of September 1. Isaac's remnants produced anywhere from 1-5 inches of rain, with significant variation from place to place. A frontal system moved through the area on September 7-8, producing another 1-3 inches of rain for most locations,” meteorologists said.

LINKS:

U.S. Drought Monitor - http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/DM_midwest.htm