California Storms: Drought Gone In 53 Percent of State, Most Since 2013

For the first time in four years, more than half of California’s land area is no longer classified as being in drought conditions by the federal government — the latest milestone signaling the end of the state’s historic drought. Altogether, 53 percent of California has seen enough precipitation, and its reservoirs and groundwater levels filled so much that it is not in drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a weekly report issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Nebraska. A year ago, just 5 percent of the state was out of drought.