(By Jonathan Lloyd / NBC LOS ANGELES) — Conditions have improved in a small swath of Southern California that was one of the last areas of severe drought still standing after a wet winter.
Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties are no longer under severe drought, according to last week’s U.S. Drought Monitor report.
Recent rainfall improved the outlook for groundwater in the region, accounting for the improvement, the Monitor report said.
Only 1 percent of California, a small portion in the extreme southeast corner of Imperial County, remains in severe drought this month.
This season’s record rainfall has knocked out drought in 92 percent of California.
California is in the middle of one of its wettest winters in decades, but remains under a drought emergency.
What’s good for drought conditions has brought misery for some Californians.
READ: Horses evacuated from flooded San Jose ranch Gov.
Brown asked for federal assistance with the infrastructure damage from late January storms that caused flooding, mudslides and power outages.
Brown’s office said Tuesday the governor also declared a state of emergency for 53 of the state’s 58 counties due to late January storms.