While some much needed rain has fallen over the last week, severe and extreme drought persists in a majority of the KCII listening area, with regions of exceptional drought seen for the first time this year.

A very small percentage of northern Iowa County recorded exceptional drought in the last week as it spreads from Tama and Benton counties. Exceptional drought is the highest level on the intensity scale, and is seen on a broader level in the northeast corner of the State. Iowa and Johnson counties also have the highest percentages of extreme drought, one step below exceptional, at 57.24 and 70.92 percent respectively.

The only other regions of extreme drought in the area remain along the border separating Keokuk and Jefferson counties. Severe drought meanwhile is still seen in a majority of Washington, Henry, and Louisa counties with 99.94 percent of Washington County under this classification. Of the seven counties in the KCII listening area, only 11 percent of the land has been recorded as moderate drought or below.

To view the drought outlook in your county, as well as the rest of the state, click here.