You are now in California and the U.S. category.

Hammered with record rainstorms and blizzards, nearly half of California is no longer in a drought, and the rest saw dramatic improvement over the past week, federal scientists reported Thursday. Overall, 49 percent of the state is now drought free, the highest level since April 2013, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a weekly study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

Drought conditions have retreated from nearly half of California after January’s onslaught of storms, the U.S. Drought Monitor said Thursday, and one large water wholesaler urged state regulators to lift restrictions on areas with adequate supplies. The board of directors of the San Diego County Water Authority voted to declare an end to drought conditions in its region and to call on Gov. Jerry Brown and the State Water Resources Control Board to rescind statewide emergency water-use regulation.

A series of strong storms over the weekend helped to relieve the drought-stricken lands known as Ventura County. Beginning on Thursday, Jan. 19, the first of three storms made its way into the county, followed by a stronger storm on Friday — a brief interlude on Saturday — and the strongest of the storms on Sunday through Monday morning. Areas of the county experienced small debris flows and localized flooding, with one family requiring rescue by the Ventura County Fire Department after their vehicle became stuck in flood waters at an intersection of Pleasant Valley Road in Camarillo.

January’s monster storms and flooding in California inundated farmlands up and down the state, dealing a blow to crops of vegetables, citrus and nuts. While the series of tropical storms benefited some drought-stricken areas of the state, the heavy rains brought flooding to vineyards in Northern California and harvest delays further south for vegetable growers. Some citrus and nut growers were hurt too, including the loss of trees during strong winds.