Meteorologists Cautious About Drought Impact in Indiana

Meteorologists remain cautious about the aftermath of this summer's drought in Indiana even though much of the state has had plenty of rain in recent weeks.

National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Ryan says much of southern Indiana remains in a precipitation deficit of nine inches or more for the year. Ryan tells The Herald-Times (http://bit.ly/Pneceu) that rainfall is heading in the right direction, but that it's premature to say the drought is over.

The weather service says 7.7 inches of rain fell in Indianapolis in September, making it the city's fifth-wettest September on record. That's more than fell during April, May, June and July combined.

Shawn Naylor of the Indiana Geological Survey says the bedrock aquifer near Jasper was about five feet below normal in July from a year earlier.