(Undated) – Some light rain showers on Thursday may have helped ease the dry conditions in southeast Indiana.

But it’s not enough to pull the region out of a persistent drought that has carried over from mid-summer into the fall.

According to the National Weather Service, most of southeast Indiana is about eight inches below normal for precipitation this year.

On Thursday the U.S. Drought Monitor placed most of Switzerland County, the southwestern tip of Ohio County, and southern Ripley County into a larger area under an extreme drought, the second-most severe drought designation.

Dearborn and Franklin counties, as well as most of Ohio County and northern Ripley County remain under a severe drought.

The U.S. Drought Monitor also follows impacts caused by drought conditions and shows that Indiana has had the most fires, agricultural, and environmental report of drought impact this year.

LINKS:

Drought Brings Burn Bans, Affects Crops

DNR: Water Shortage Warning For SEI