Long-Lasting Drought EndsFor seven long months, all of southeast Louisiana was dealing with some sort of drought condition. The below-average rainfall that placed all of southeast Louisiana in drought conditions since early summer of 2023 has finally ended. Check out the latest drought monitor below.Looking Back at the Exceptionally Dry ConditionsSoutheast Louisiana was plagued with drought conditions since at least early June. Those drought conditions only continued to worsen as time went on. By late August, all of southeast Louisiana (and much of the state) was classified as "Extreme Drought" conditions. As the rainfall deficits continued, most of the state was then upgraded to "Exceptional" drought between late September through late November, which is the highest classification on the drought scale shown below.Effects of the Severe DroughtA drought of this magnitude caused dire consequences. Not only were burn bans in effect, but the rivers were so low that saltwater began intruding on them and became too salty for irrigation, which caused big problems back in September and October.What's in Store AheadAccording to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, there's a 40-50% chance of above-normal rainfall in southeast Louisiana. If verified, this should help keep drought conditions in check for a while.