CEDAR RAPIDS — Drought conditions worsened this week, especially in northwest Iowa where part of the state is now in the most-severe category of drought.

The USDA Drought Monitor released Thursday showed 62 percent of Iowa is experiencing severe drought conditions.  About 2 percent of the state in northwest Iowa is now in the exceptional drought category, the most severe label used by the USDA.

Drought conditions in Eastern Iowa stayed relatively unchanged, despite some areas receiving several inches of rain from the remnants of Hurricane Isaac and then from a line of storms Wednesday morning.

The remnants of Isaac did help drought-stricken Missouri and Arkansas by dumping several inches of rain.  Sections of those states fell from exceptional drought conditions to severe drought conditions, two levels lower on the USDA scale.