LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The drought is easing in Nebraska, but it’s stubborn in some spots, mainly the southeast part of the state.

On Thursday, the Lincoln-based National Drought Mitigation Center released a map showing that only 20% of the state is in drought.

At this time last year, practically the entire state was parched.

Today, most of Lancaster County is still in moderate drought, though things are improving.

SEE ALSO: Nebraska farmer says wet spring is setting harvest up for success

Tom Peterson, a farmer near Waverly, said the increase in rain gives him hope, but there is still room for improvement.

“We might be able to raise a crop, get enough grass for the cows,” said Peterson. ” I mean, the subsoil moisture isn’t there yet. We’re getting soaked up from the top down, and it hasn’t gotten that far down yet.”

Peterson said growing was difficult in 2023, but this year is looking better.

“The rains have been nice and soaking,” he said. “And that’s beneficial to getting our corn crop and our bean crop off to a good start. Give them the best start they can, and then you got to hope you’re going to continue to get those rains over the summers to keep feeding those things.”

SEE ALSO: Nebraska farmers ‘cautiously optimistic’ as planting begins

While his grass and crops are growing, Peterson said some of the creeks and ponds on his property could use a little more moisture.

“Those ponds are actually ground fed,” he said. “So the water level underneath is what actually brings the water level up in those ponds.

Peterson said once those ponds start to fill, that will be a sign that the drought is no more.

SEE ALSO: ‘Are we going to have a crop?’: Nebraska farmers worried about drought

He is hopeful that Friday morning’s storm will be productive and not destructive.

“We got a good grass stand to start with now, and there’s a good start with that for the cows,” he said. “But if that floods over, that lays all that grass over, covers some of it with mud. And, you know, you lose a lot of tonnage, a lot of a lot of meals for the cows.”

Peterson does not use irrigation, so he’s hoping Mother Nature will give him a helping hand.

“She takes good care of things, most of the time,” he said. “If we don’t have to haul water to the cows, that’s great … We’re dryland farmers. But you know, if Mother Nature gives us a shower every now and then, it’s very beneficial, and you don’t have to sit there and hope for rain.”

SEE ALSO: The latest forecast from the Storm Alert Team

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Today) – Nebraska’s Leading Economic Indicator, designed to predict economic activity six months into the future, rose 0.42% in April.

“The monthly report suggests the Nebraska economy will grow during the fourth quarter of 2024,” said economist Eric Thompson, director of the Bureau of Business Research, department chair and K.H. Nelson College Professor of Economics. “Overall, while the Nebraska economy struggled in the first quarter of 2024, growth is expected to accelerate mid-year and continue through to the fourth quarter.”

The six components of the indicator are business expectations, building permits for single-family homes, airline passenger counts, initial claims for unemployment insurance, the value of the U.S. dollar and manufacturing hours worked. Three components improved during April.

“Nebraska manufacturing hours worked grew again in April, as the state and national manufacturing industry continued to strengthen,” Thompson said. “The labor market also strengthened during April.”

Business expectations were positive, as respondents to the April Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment over the next six months. Initial claims for unemployment insurance also fell.

Read the full report and a technical report describing the indicators.

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OMAHA, Neb. – Two days after devastating storms ravaged Nebraska and Iowa, causing widespread damage and flooding, another series of severe storms is poised to hit the same areas on Thursday.

These storms have the potential for tornadoes and unusually large hail, posing significant risks to the threatened regions.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

Within the Great Plains corridor, the FOX Forecast Center said an area of enhanced wind likelihood is most likely to develop across the Central Plains during Wednesday evening. Some of these gusts should be significant, reaching 75-85 mph before they move through the previously tornado-impacted areas overnight.

The best chance of severe storms will be from Nebraska into the Dakotas as a developing area of low pressure moves out into the Plains. While moisture may be limited, significant heating will result in a few storms across the western areas by late Thursday afternoon.

POWERFUL IMAGES CAPTURE DEADLY DEVASTATION FROM TORNADO’S AFTERMATH IN GREENFIELD, IOWA

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has placed a swath of eastern Nebraska and northern Kansas in a Level 3 out of 5 severe weather risk Wednesday with a much wider area covering over 20 million people across much of the Plains in a Level 2 out of 5 risk.

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Elsewhere, severe storms will remain rather scattered across the southern Plains through the Mid-South but could become quite strong during the afternoon and evening hours, the FOX Forecast Center said.

Wichita, Kansas, Oklahoma City and Dallas are among the major cities that may encounter this significant weather event.

A Level 1 severe weather threat also extends across the mid-Atlantic into the Interstate 95 corridor across New England on Thursday, including the major cities of New York City, Boston, Washington and Philadelphia. 

Thunderstorms may bring large hail or damaging wind gusts here, but the tornado threat is minimal.