BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Alabama and Mississippi are completely free from drought for the first time in more than a year.
 
A federal assessment released Thursday shows rains have eliminated a dry spell that began in April 2016, the last time Alabama was totally drought-free.
 
Days of heavy rains from Topical Storm Cindy helped, and now only slivers of northwest Alabama and northeastern Mississippi are considered abnormally dry. That's a step below being in a drought.
 
The worst period of dry weather was last fall, when the entire state of Alabama was in a drought for an eight-week period that began in late October.
 
Statistics from the National Drought Mitigation Center show conditions have improved steadily since then.
 
Northeast Georgia still has a small area experiencing drought, and rainfall is considered normal in Louisiana.