WASHINGTON - Drought conditions have worsened in the Mahoning and Shenango Valleys, with Columbiana County experiencing the worst conditions in Ohio at extreme levels.

According to a U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday, southern and central parts of Columbiana County are now experiencing extreme drought, an increase from the severe conditions reported last week. The rest of the county, which had been under a moderate drought, is now classified as a severe drought area.

This elevated classification puts the entire county under the D2 level, indicating significant impacts on agriculture and grasslands. Carroll and Jefferson counties, neighboring Columbiana, are also under severe drought.

Mahoning and Trumbull counties in Ohio and Mercer County in Pennsylvania have all shifted from

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