DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The latest U.S. Drought Monitor map shows conditions have worsened in the Corn Belt states of Iowa and Nebraska.  The map shows extreme drought has spread further into the western half of Iowa and covers all but a small section of southeast Nebraska, where severe drought is occurring. A few counties in central Nebraska are still listed as being under exceptional drought conditions.  The drought map is a project shared by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Weather Service. The latest map is based on conditions as of 6 a.m. Tuesday, so it doesn’t reflect rainfall from storms that passed through parts of both states later Tuesday and on Wednesday.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Storms erupted over eastern Nebraska and western and central Iowa, Wednesday, with reports of strong winds, hail and rain. The National Weather Service says storms that developed Wednesday afternoon may have produced a funnel cloud near Howells in Colfax County. No damage or injuries were reported. In Saunders County, hail covered the ground near Morse Bluff. Hail and heavy rain were also reported in the Carroll area, including some half-dollar sized amounts just at around 2:10-p.m. Scranton had quarter-sized hail fall at around 2:40-p.m.

Elswhere in Iowa, winds of up to 70 miles per hour caused some property damage and scattered power outages in Fremont County, near Sidney, Farragut and Shenandoah, as those areas were hit by strong winds between 6:30 and 7:15-p.m. Hail and torrential rain were reported in the Des Moines area. Tree limbs were down in the metro and its suburbs, with minor hail damage to cars. Some intersections were also flooded from heavy rain.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 566 REMAINS VALID UNTIL 1 AM CDT THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN IOWA: THIS WATCH INCLUDES 5 COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST IOWA FREMONT MILLS MONTGOMERY PAGE POTTAWATTAMIE

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA

720 PM CDT WED AUG 8 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…

PAGE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IOWA…

* UNTIL 800 PM CDT

* AT 716 PM CDT…DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM

CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IN

EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR COIN…OR 19 MILES

NORTH OF TARKIO…AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…

CLARINDA…SHENANDOAH…ESSEX…COIN…COLLEGE SPRINGS…

SHAMBAUGH…YORKTOWN AND NORTHBORO.

15 PM CDT WED AUG 8 2012

…SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN POTTAWATTAMIE

COUNTY UNTIL 745 PM CDT…

AT 711 PM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS

TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR COUNCIL BLUFFS…OR 11 MILES

EAST OF OMAHA…MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF DIMES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE

POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…

OAKLAND…TREYNOR…CARSON…MACEDONIA…CRESCENT AND MCCLELLAND.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM CDT

THURSDAY MORNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN IOWA AND EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA.

656 PM CDT WED AUG 8 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…

SOUTHEASTERN FREMONT COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IOWA…

SOUTHWESTERN PAGE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IOWA…

* UNTIL 730 PM CDT

* AT 652 PM CDT…DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM

CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IN

EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR SIDNEY…OR 25 MILES

NORTHWEST OF TARKIO…AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…

SHENANDOAH…SIDNEY…FARRAGUT…RIVERTON…COIN…

RANDOLPH AND NORTHBORO.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH…

DESTRUCTIVE HAIL…DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR

PROTECTION…MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR

HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT DRIVE

INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THAT HAD BEEN IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM FOR PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL IOWA WAS CANCELLED. HOWEVER A WATCH (#566) REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1-A.M. FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN WESTERN & SOUTHWEST IOWA…. FREMONT HARRISON MILLS MONONA MONTGOMERY PAGE POTTAWATTAMIE SHELBY

646 PM CDT WED AUG 8 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…

SOUTHEASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA…

MILLS COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IOWA…

SOUTHWESTERN POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IOWA…

* UNTIL 715 PM CDT

* AT 643 PM CDT…DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE

THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING

WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE

EXTENDING FROM OMAHA TO 9 MILES SOUTH OF GLENWOOD…OR ALONG A

LINE EXTENDING FROM 48 MILES NORTHEAST OF LINCOLN TO 36 MILES

NORTHWEST OF TARKIO…AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…

OMAHA…COUNCIL BLUFFS…RALSTON…GLENWOOD…MALVERN…

TREYNOR…PACIFIC JUNCTION…CARTER LAKE AND SILVER CITY.

309 PM CDT WED AUG 8 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…

EASTERN ADAIR COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST IOWA…

SOUTHWESTERN MADISON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA…

* UNTIL 400 PM CDT

* AT 303 PM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL…AND

DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES

EAST OF GREENFIELD…OR 18 MILES NORTH OF CRESTON…AND MOVING EAST

AT 25 MPH.

AT 305 PM A WIND GUST OF 55 MPH WAS REPORTED JUST EAST OF

GREENFIELD WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…

WINTERSET AND MACKSBURG.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE IN A

MOBILE HOME…GET OUT NOW…AND SEEK SHELTER IN A REINFORCED

BUILDING.