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Subscribe to RSSCooler temperatures and rain brought some much-needed relief to the drought-plagued Midwest and South over the past week, according to the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
There was notable improvement in drought conditions from Iowa through Ohio, the report found, and also in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
But the report wasn't all good news. Conditions deteriorated in Oklahoma, where a lack of precipitation and heat parched the state's soil. Parts of Texas and Louisiana also saw worsening drought.
"It was a week of hit and miss," said the report's author, Michael Brewer, with NOAA's National Climatic Data Center. Brewer told NBC News that some of the areas in the upper Midwest and around the Great Lakes hit hardest by drought "saw some marked improvement from storms."
"Other folks, such as in the High Plains...got hit pretty hard (by drought)," Brewer said. The U.S. Drought Monitor's latest map indicates "exceptional drought" in a significant portion of Kansas and parts of Nebraska and eastern Colorado.
The widespread drought is devastating corn and soybean crops, leading to earlier harvests and lower yields. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 87% of corn crop areas and 85% of soybean areas in the U.S. were experiencing drought as of last week.
"That's played out in the markets where the price of corn is going up to record highs," Brewer said.
With the end of crop season nearing, Brewer added that there's no recovery for this year's crops: "The damage has already been done."
More coverage of the drought:
Drought sends Mississippi into ‘uncharted territory’
‘Best year ever’ for some farmers outside drought region
Drought expected to take toll at checkout
Americans tell their story of #Drought2012
In drought-stricken Wisconsin, farmers helping farmers
Emergency well drilling brings relief to farmers stricken by drought
Have you been affected by the worst drought in more than 50 years? Share your photos with us on Instagram, Tumblr or Twitter with the tag #Drought2012. You can also upload your photos in the box below.
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But it's just a drop in the bucket.
The drought is caused by the nano particles of aluminum released into the atmosphere by chem trails.
After the crops fail the government will release the black plague which will kill billions of people world wide.
The government has recreated the black plague and made it ten times stronger than it originally was.
??????????????????
@Jeffery D Parks, and you know this how!
@Jeffery D Parks and you know this how?
What rain? None here in the Kansas desert.
The gods must really be angry with the people on this planet.