Kentucky farmers are desperate for rain.

Just two months ago, Roger Hobbs planted his corn between rainstorms that soaked his Carlisle County fields.

Now he's watching the ground bake and his corn twist, a sign of stress from too much heat and too little moisture.

Other farmers got some relief Tuesday as thunderstorms rumbled across Kentucky.

Rainfall amounts varied widely. Tompkinsville in Monroe County received 1.58 inches and Lewisport in Hancock County got 1.42 inches.

Other areas received a half-inch or less. But the rain bypassed some areas completely. The latest Palmer Drought Severity Index indicates that eastern Kentucky is in a mild drought, and that central Kentucky is in the earliest stage of a drought. In the western Kentucky grain belt, the moisture status is near normal because of heavy spring rains, but the recent dry spell has worsened conditions for crops.