Rains help local entities escape drought conditions

The latest edition of the United States Drought Monitor for the State of Texas shows a few area counties no longer under a drought.

Last weekend’s rains were apparently enough to remove Hunt, Red River and Rockwall counties from that characteristic. Earlier this month, the agency’s map showed about half of the southern portion of Hunt County under a drought. The latest map was updated Tuesday.

Other local counties previously categorized as drought-free include Collin, Fannin and Lamar, while Delta, Hopkins, Kaufman, Rains and Van Zandt are still experiencing abnormally dry conditions.