Despite rains coming all at once, the recent precipitation in the form of rain in central Illinois is helping ease drought conditions that had weather experts very concerned.

Chris Miller with the National Weather Service indicates rain fell for quite a bit of time and he says that is going to go a long way in easing the drought we're experiencing.

Thanks to the length of rainfall over about 24 hours, Miller indicates a large swath of central Illinois can breathe a little easier.

According to Miller, the drought was expanding into neighboring states and even farther out, and those areas are also improving. The drought now shifts to the western portion of the country.