Heavy rains over the weekend put a major dent in the drought in southern Illinois and neighboring states. Amounts of two to four and a half inches were common throughout the southern half of the state. Some places saw more rain in the last week than in the last three months. For example, Mt Carmel reported 5.07 inches in the last 7 days while receiving a combined total of only 4.34 inches during the months of August, September, and October.
These widespread rains should give relief to other drought-stricken areas of the Midwest as well, including Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio.