Recent rains have helped reduce drought conditions across northeast Iowa.
According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for Iowa, based on precipitation through 7 am Tuesday, July 18th, Butler, Bremer, Buchanan and Black Hawk counties, all of which were in the D2/severe drought category a week earlier, all improved into the D1/moderate drought category. For the same period, three-quarters of Fayette County, plus southern halves of Floyd and Chickasaw counties, also moved down from D2/severe drought to D1/moderate drought.
Northern sections of Floyd and Chickasaw counties, plus some of Howard, most of Mitchell and Cerro Gordo counties, and all of Worth County, improved to the abnormally dry category.
All of Franklin and Winneshiek counties are rated in the D1/moderate drought category.
